Playing The Part
by regnum
Summary: [Smabbi-san] Two very unlikely members of the digidestined get cast in roles that they never really wanted, roles that will require them to get quite *close*. My first digimon fic! R&R (Sorato / Yamora) [Epilogue *NEW*] Completed!!
1. Prologue: A Little Pressure Never Hurt

Playing The Part

Playing The Part

Disclaimer: Digimon is not mine. Unless Tolei wants to trade the rights to digimon for a rubber chicken… *gets down on knees and begs* (Please?) It, sadly, won't ever be mine. 

A/N: Wowee! I wrote a digimon fic! And it's Sorato / Yamora, I'll have no complaints, if you like Taito or Mimato, this is definitely _not _the place to be! This is my very first digimon fic (I am NOT Smeegee-san.) and reviews are always welcome! (In fact, they're a must! Review the fic!!) It looks like it's gonna be a multi-parter too! (Scary…) Without further ado, I present: 'Playing a Part'!

(*)(*)(*)

~* Prologue: A Little Pressure Never Hurt *~

"You want me to _what_?" Ishida Yamato, resident 'Mr Cool' of Odaiba High School, stared at the deputy principal in disbelief. 

"Mr. Ishida, you leave school next year. Your school records show no school involvement whatsoever! How is this going to reflect on you when you try to get a job?" 

"You've already said that." Yamato waved a hand dismissively, "What I don't get is why I can't be involved in some _other_ school activity."

Hamasaki-sensai sighed, a diploma in teaching and he spent all his time arguing with stubborn teenagers, "There is _nothing_ else. We are nearing the end of the school year; it's the third term! If you'd decided to take something up at the _start_ of the year this would not be a problem. Look, you won't even have to audition." 

Yamato just shook his head, "It's not the _auditioning_. I'm not really into this kind of stuff. Music's more my thing. I've got this band -"

"Mr. Ishida, frankly I don't care what's 'your thing'! You need school involvement on your record! You are going to get involved!" 

"I get passable grades. Why do I need involvement?" Yamato countered stubbornly, "It's not _really_ going to help me." 

"To show future employees that you're a team player, that you get involved. You don't go anywhere in this world without being a team player these days." Hamasaki-sensai rubbed his temples tiredly, obviously getting a headache.

"But -"

"No more 'but's, Mr. Ishida. I will see you next week, on Monday. Hopefully, the rest of the cast will be decided by then. Thank you." Hamasaki-sensai skilfully manoeuvred the protesting teen out the door, shutting it in his face. Then, the deputy principal sat down, opened his drawer and pulled out his bottle of extra-strength Panadol and pouring out a glass of water.

"Kami-sama, why did I ever decide to be a teacher?" 

Outside the door, the tall, blonde, boy found himself staring at the bronze nameplate. He was still in shock at finding himself in this situation. Glowering, he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Damn." He muttered, stalking away.

(*)(*)(*)

"No way!" 

A few heads turned towards the tennis court where the vehement cry had come from. Takenouchi Sora sweatdropped, blushing slightly, she attempted to cover her embarrassment by pretending to be busy putting her tennis racket away. 

"Please, Sora? I really don't wanna go all by myself!" 

"No. No, no, no, no!" She looked at her friend in surprise, "Why are you asking me anyway? There's gotta be someone else who'll go with you."

"It'll be fun, Sora! Please come?" 

Sora sighed at the whining tone; "It'll be fun for _you_, Asa-chan. Not me." She gestured towards their surroundings, the school tennis courts, "If you haven't noticed, I'm more of a sports person." 

"That's why it's so great!" Asami chirped happily, "You don't _really_ want to get in and I just want someone to audition with me. This way, you won't ruin my chances of getting a part, and I don't have to go all alone! Isn't it perfect?" 

Sora bit back a cutting remark, reminding herself, as she did constantly, that it _wasn't_ Asami's fault she was a complete self-centred airhead. _Is this why I stopped hanging out with girls? _That was a challenge if ever she heard one, she'd audition and she'd be better that her 'friend'. She smiled sweetly, "Okay Asa-chan, I'll come with you. What do I have to do?"

(*)(*)(*)

"Why do I let myself get talked into these things?" Sora questioned out loud, as she paced up and down the small hallway. 

The door opened and a grinning Asami stepped out, "I did great!" Her proud smile faltered for a moment, "I think…" Sora was too busy dealing with the butterflies threatening to take wing in her stomach to pay much attention to her friend. "You'll be okay, don't worry about it." Asami continued, attempting to calm her friend down, "You don't _really_ want a part anyway, right?" 

Sora had to fight the rising sense of nausea, "Right. I don't want a part anyway." Surprisingly, the thought didn't make her feel any better, she forced a smile, "I guess it's my turn."

"Good luck!" Her friend chirped energetically, "Oops! I forgot! It's bad luck to say that! Break a le-" 

The door shut on Asami's smiling face, cutting off the rest of her sentence. Sora found herself standing in the school hall, she took another deep breath. _I don't really want a part. _She told herself. _So it's okay if I suck. What am I doing here? If I don't want a part I shouldn't be here! This is crazy, insane, utterly – _

"Takenouchi Sora?" The voice cut through her rambling thoughts. 

Her eyes fell on the teacher sitting behind the desk in the front row. "H-hai." She stammered, she had seen him around school, but didn't know him. 

"I'm Takani-sensai, I teach drama at school." He gestured towards the stage, smiling slightly, "Don't be nervous, just get on there whenever you're ready. Just to let you know, we'll be videotaping this so we can look at it later." 

For the first time, Sora noticed the camera set up at the back of the hall. _Breathe deeply… breathe deeply… _"That's fine." She was quite proud of the fact she'd managed to say it without stuttering. A script was placed in her hands and she found herself standing in the middle of the stage. She resisted the urge to throw up. _Kami, how do people make a living out of this?_

Takani-sensai smiled reassuringly, "Whenever you're ready, Sora." He picked up his pen.

The butterflies had taken wing, she sincerely wished they hadn't. A blush rose to her cheeks as she realised how stupid she must look, standing, gaping on stage. Opening her mouth she began to read.

"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father…" 

(*)(*)(*)

A/N: There you have it! The prologue, written entirely in school, between classes. I hope you liked it. I got the idea from my school production, which _was_ Romeo and Juliet. (Not that I had a big part or anything…) So that's how I know parts of the script. It will get more romantic, I promise! I'll try to get the next part out soon, in the meantime…review! I write better when I get inspired, I get inspired by reviews. *Hint hint* Sorry if any of the spelling or anything is wrong…I'm looking for a beta reader, I'd ask Smee-chan, but she's very anti-Sorato, and very busy. Email me at: [smabbi@hotmail.com][1] if you want to do it. (Or if you have private comments ^.^) Ja!

© 2001-05-23

Smabbi-chan 

   [1]: mailto:smabbi@hotmail.com



	2. Chapter One: Fate Plays Weird Games

Playing The Part

Playing The Part

Disclaimer: I have nowhere near enough money to be claiming I own digimon…I am a poor, jobless student. The gist of it is: Digimon = not mine!

A/N: Ahh, the first chapter…I realise the prologue seemed a little slow and pointless, but it'll get better! (I think) This is posted in Romance/Humour, but I want it to have a bit of everything…drama, angst, the works really. Well, that's the plan! Again, this is a Sorato / Yamora… basically, you don't like the coupling, don't read and don't flame! Read, enjoy, review! 

(*)(*)(*)

**~* Chapter One: Fate Plays Weird Games *~ **

** **

"Come _on _Sora!" 

Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be pulled down the hallway by her over-enthusiastic friend, "Calm down, Asa-chan. The list isn't going anywhere, it'll still be there when we arrive." 

"But I wanna see if I got a part!" Asami whined, beginning to run faster. 

"I realise that, but…couldn't you slow down a – whoa!" The rest of Sora's words were lost as she was yanked down the hall, going as fast as it was humanly possible. 

There were dozens of people milling about, all of them as excited and on edge as Asami was. Happy shrieks and disappointed groans could be heard all around, piercing the air sharply. 

"I got a part!" Asami crowed, her jubilant face poking through the crowd, "I'm Lady Montague!!" 

Sora forced a smile, in truth all the people crowding around her was making her feel a little claustrophobic, "That's really great Asa-chan." She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that her friend hadn't mentioned her getting a part. _You know you wouldn't get a part anyway… after all; it _was_ a really bad audition._ "Can we go now?" 

Asami looked at her friend, "Good idea Sora-chan! Let's go celebrate! It's on me! It's perfect, I get a part, you get a part… Where should we go? I think-"

"Wait a minute!" Sora yelled, hushing the crowd for an instant, she sweatdropped, trying to look as small as possible in front of all those eyes, "What did you say?" She asked in a hushed voice, relieved when everyone returned to their previous conversations. 

Asami shot her a slightly irritated, yet amused look, "I _said_ we should go celebrate."

"No, no, no! The part about me getting in the play!" 

"Oh. Right, didn't you know?" Asami gave her a mischievous grin, black hair swaying wildly as she bounced up and down, "You got a part! You're gonna be Juliet!" 

Sora went into shock, "W-what?" She mumbled, the voices around her faded into a mumble. 

"Sora-chan? Did you hear me?" Asami asked, definitely amused by her friend's reaction, "Hello?"

Sora stared at her friend for a moment, and then began fighting through the crowd, trying to get a glimpse of the cast list. "Excuse me… oh! Gomen… If you'll just let me past…" There, at the top of the cast list, was her name, "Juliet,

Takanouchi Sora…" She murmured softly, not quite believing it, "I'm Juliet." She laughed; sure it was some sort of insane joke.

"Sora-chan? Are you okay?" 

She laughed again, "I'm just fine Asa-chan. You know what? I think you're right, this calls for a celebration, how about ice cream?" Sora grinned widely, linking arms they walked off, chattering happily. 

(*)(*)(*)

He stood in the doorway, debating whether or not to go in. He didn't belong there. Those people were far too peppy, excited. He didn't see the thrill, and he was missing out on band practise. His blue eyes scanned what he could see of the room, not one familiar face. _Figures._ He walked in.

Yamato dumped his schoolbag on one of the hard wooden seats; dozens like it filled the school hall, with a sigh he sat down beside it, wishing he was anywhere but here.

"Oh my God! It's Ishida Yamato!" A girlish squeal pierced the muted chatter. He winced, rolling his eyes. In less then a minute, he was surrounded by most of the female cast. 

"Yama-kun! I love you so much!" 

"Are you in the play, Yama-kun?"

"Of course he is, you baka! Yama-kun is multi-talented!" 

"Can I have your autograph?" 

"What about a date with me, Yama-kun?"

"Have you got a girlfriend Yama?" 

He stood up, "Ladies, please. Give a guy some room."Then he smiled what was commonly known as his 'lady-killer' smile, flashing his perfect, white teeth. Several of the girls swooned and the rest instantly moved a few steps back, following the orders of their beloved 'Yama-kun'. _This_ was a role he was comfortable with, Ishida Yamato, ladies man. 

"Yamato? What are you doing here?" 

He turned in surprise, Sora laughed gaily and he gave her a hug, both of them oblivious to the envious stares from the waiting fangirls. 

He grinned, raising an eyebrow, "I could say the same for you y'know. You never struck me as the drama type." He said, laughing. 

She slapped him lightly on the shoulder, "You always seemed more the music type to me." 

He shook his head, "You have no idea." 

Abruptly, Sora was pushed out of the way, and over-enthusiastic females once again surrounded Yamato.

"Who is _she_, Yama-kun?" 

"Is that your girlfriend?"

"No _way_! She can't be Yama-kun's girlfriend! She's way too ugly!"

Sora was about to give _that_ particular girl a piece of her mind when Takani-sensai entered the room, "People! A little quiet please!" An instant hush fell over the room. "Now then," he continued, "Congratulations all of you, you've all earned your parts in the play. Now then, Romeo will be played by Ishida Yamato -" Several shrieks were heard,

"Yama-kun is so _perfect_ for the part!" 

"I _told_ you he was multi-talented!"

Takani-sensai glared around the room, "Thank you for the commentary ladies, now, if I could have some quiet, we'd all be done a lot faster. Where was I? Oh yes, Juliet will be played by Takenouchi Sora." 

Yamato stared at his friend in shock.

(*)(*)(*)

"How come you didn't tell me you were going to audition?" 

"Hmm?" Yamato kicked at a pebble on the roadside absently, "I didn't actually have to audition." 

"So they accepted you on account of your previous acting experience right?" Sora asked, teasingly.

He grinned, "Of course! You know me, I'm a man of many talents!" He claimed, winking suggestively, "And not all of them can see the light of day." 

Sora wrinkled her nose, "That may work on your precious groupies, but it won't work on me Ishida!" 

"Damn. Ah well, it was worth a shot." He said, acting disappointed. 

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence, Yamato stole a glance at Sora. He smiled slightly, she was growing her hair longer and it looked…good. _Whoa! Hold on, this is _Sora_. Remember? A good friend?_ He couldn't help it. Funny how he'd never seen it, she had become more feminine after the digital world, less of a tomboy. It was, well…appealing. _No! No, no, no! I'm her _friend_! I shouldn't be thinking like this!_

"Are you okay, Yamato?"

"Huh?! Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He grinned weakly. "I was just…uh, thinking."

"Oh. About what?" Sora asked innocently. 

Yamato blushed, "I-uh… nothing."

"Okay…" She said doubtfully, studying him. _Wonder what he was thinking about, he was starting to look kinda sick. _He still looked a little weird to her, not the calm, cool Yamato she was used to seeing. He looked unsure of himself, she knew Yamato better than most, and he was never unsure about anything. Even in the digital world, he never seemed at a loss for words, uncertainty was not Yamato.

"We're here." 

Sora snapped out of her thoughts, they were standing outside her apartment building. She turned to look at him, her eyes meeting his deep blue ones, and, for a moment, the rest of the world disappeared.

(*)(*)(*)

His eyes, they're such an intense blue. Why haven't I noticed it before? It's so easy to get lost in them…

_ _

(*)(*)(*)

She's got such perfect eyes. I've never really noticed that they were such a unique colour. Wow…

_ _

(*)(*)(*)

The moment was over almost instantly. Sora blinked, startled, then she smiled gently, "Thanks for walking me home, Yamato."

"Anytime." He grinned, "After all, you need someone big and strong to look after you." He flexed his muscles proudly.

"So, why are _you_ walking me home then?"

He frowned teasingly, "Why you -" She just laughed and began running, reaching the elevator in time to get on.

"Bye Yamato!" She waved, grinning.

The teasing note in her voice goaded him, he reached the elevator just as the doors closed, "I'll get you tomorrow, Sora!" He called, still laughing. He watched the elevator make it's ascent, suddenly, the day seemed a little duller. 

(*)(*)(*)

A/N: Well, there was a little more Sorato / Yamora at the end. Hope you liked it! Thank you to all the wonderful people who reviewed the prologue!! *big group hug* You guys are the best!! I'll try and get the next part out soon…but remember, I have a lot of school… *sigh* I'm doing my best!! Anyways, review it please!! 


	3. Chapter Two: Friendship on the Rocks

Playing the Part

Playing the Part

** **

Disclaimer: Digimon… yeah, that show with the mini digital monsters? Not mine. Never will be either… Sad, ne? *sniff* 

A/N: Domo arigato to all the wonderful people who reviewed! You guys are the best, and so inspiring too!! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, all the people who _didn't_ review… Omae o korusu. *sigh* Too much Gundam Wing… Just read away, enjoy and please…please, review!

(*)(*)(*)

Chapter Two: Friendship on the Rocks

** **

"Nice to see you're on time Mr. Ishida." 

"Whatever," Yamato crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, "how long is this going to take? I have places to go."

Takani-sensei had a hard time retaining his pleasant smile, "It shouldn't take too long, we can start as soon as the leading lady gets here."

Sora came running through the door, a little short of breath, "Gomen nasai! My math teacher was just explaining our assignment to me." 

"It's okay, Miss Takenouchi, this meeting is just for me to give you guys your scripts - all your individual lines are highlighted – and to inform you that lines need to be completely memorised in two months." He handed them each a book, "We've cut some of the scenes out, all those are marked too. The play would be far too long if we didn't, however, most of your scenes are still intact."

Sora was flipping through the book, absent-mindedly making notes on where her lines were, "There's a lot of lines here."

Yamato just shrugged, "Two months is plenty of time to learn 'em. Don't worry about it, Sora." 

Takani-sensei cleared his throat noisily, "Uh, Mr. Ishida? You have to be ready to _perform_ in two months."

"Nani?!" Yamato's jaw dropped, "You're kidding right? I don't have that much free time! I'm meant to be at band -"

"Not my concern, Mr Ishida. You signed on for this, no one twisted your arm."

"But that's _exactly_ what happened!" Yamato protested violently, "I don't want -"

"Again, that is _not _my concern. You were informed about the time this will take at auditions." Takani-sensei said, coolly, "Didn't you say you had somewhere to be?" 

Yamato glared at the teacher, if looks could kill, Takani-sensei would be sliced and diced, twitching on the floor, he turned to leave.

"First rehearsal on Monday, just the two of you. See you there!"

Yamato slammed the door, obviously in a _very _bad mood. _Damn it! Who does he think he is! I have a life outside of school. I'm not rearranging everything for a stupid play that I never wanted to be in! _Angrily, he punched the wall.

"Yamato?" She placed a hand gently on his shoulder, "Daijobu?" 

He sighed heavily, staring at the ground, "Just fine." He said coldly, "I don't need sympathy right now, okay?"

Sora stared at him for a moment, his thick, blonde hair hung messily, obscuring his eyes, "Are you sure?"

"I _said_ I'm fine," he glared at her, "If you'll excuse me, I have band practice," he said, brushing past her.

(*)(*)(*)

You're so good at hiding your feelings, Yamato. I wish that you'd tell me what's wrong. We're friends, remember?

_ _

Her eyes followed his retreating form, "Yamato no baka," she murmured softly. _It isn't good to keep everything locked up inside._

For all his popularity, there were times when she saw Ishida Yamato as a rather lonely soul, not willing to open up to anyone, even his friends. When it came to feelings, he was stubborn as hell, when it came to girls, he was worse. Despite his rapidly growing fan club, he hardly ever dated, and when he did, it was always casual, never serious. 

She supposed that was what made him attractive to the hoards of fan girls, the mystery that surrounded him. _Not that he's not cute…_ She blushed slightly at the thought, not quite sure where it had come from. It was probably all this over analysing of Yamato's characteristics. "You drive me absolutely crazy sometimes, Ishida," she muttered, heading home, she still had a shift in the flower shop, and then she had to do her homework.

_Absolutely crazy…_

(*)(*)(*)

"Let's try it again."

"What? We've been over it at _least_ five times now!" Takehiro whined, "C'mon Yamato, give us a break!" 

The Teenage Wolves lead singer glared at the protesting drummer for a moment, running his fingers through his blonde hair in a stressed manner, then he sighed, "Fine. Call it quits for today," he began packing up his guitar.

"Yamato, what's wrong with you today, man?" Reiji asked, slapping him on the shoulder.

He shrugged the hand off, "It's nothing, I've just got a lot on my mind," he stood up, "I'm gonna head home, I'll see you guys tomorrow." 

Reiji watched him go, his face belying his worry for his friend, _Hope he's okay…_

(*)(*)(*)

It was getting dark, he realised, how long had they been practising? The cool, evening breeze caressed his face, and he breathed deeply, his anger was still not quite under control. 

Usually, music was the one thing that helped him solve his problems when nothing else worked, today, it seemed that even his music had abandoned him. The reason he loved music so much was because it helped to calm him down when he was angry, but it obviously didn't work when the person he was angry at was himself. 

_I shouldn't have snapped at Sora._ She had just been trying to be a good friend and he had practically bitten her head off. The wind ruffled his hair slowly and he brushed a few blonde strands from his eyes. _I'm such a baka. She'll probably never want to talk to me again._ He reasoned silently, he honestly hadn't meant to be so cold, he just hated it when people saw him lose control of his emotions. _I really don't deserve the Crest of Friendship,_ he thought, bitterly, _some friend I am…_

"Yamato!" 

His head snapped up in surprise, "Oh, hey, Taichi. What're you doing out here?" 

The tall, brown haired boy shrugged, "Soccer practise. What're _you_ doing wandering around out here?" 

Yamato surveyed his surroundings with faint surprise; he was now in the park near the school, "I was heading home after band practise, guess I got a little distracted."

"Distracted, huh?" Taichi grinned, elbowing his friend, "What were you thinking about? A girl? Bet it's one of your fan club members!"

"No," he muttered absently, "It's Sora." 

"Nani?!" Taichi exclaimed, "Sora? You guys are just friends…aren't you? Are you gonna ask her out?" 

"No, no one's moving in on _your_ territory, baka," Yamato scowled at his friend.

"Hey! Sora's not my _territory_! And you better not let her hear you referred to her as territory!" Taichi whapped his blonde friend on the head, "And quit changing the subject! What's up with you and Sora?" 

"I…it's nothing…" Yamato hung his head, "I just feel kinda guilty." 

"Oh, really? What for?" Taichi's face took on a suspicious cast, "What did you do to her? You didn't try to take advantage of her did you? She's like a sister to me and -"

"If you'd shut up and listen, I'll tell you," Yamato snapped, "I just lost my temper, it's not as if I raped her. Kami, Taichi, are you gonna listen to my problem or not?" 

"Why'd you lose your temper?" The big haired teen asked, "Tired of all the fan mail?" 

Yamato glared at him, for a friend, Taichi could be damn annoying, "No, I was mad at Takani-sensei. Sora came to see if I was okay and I brushed her off."

Taichi stared at his friend, "_Takani-sensei_? The _drama_ teacher? You don't even go _near _the drama department! What'd he do to you?" 

Yamato sighed irritably, "It's not just him, it's the whole damn school system and it's policy of all students 'being involved'. 

"Huh?" Taichi asked, confused, "I thought you were mad at Takani-sensei." 

"I am!" Yamato snapped, "But he's only _part _of the problem! Everyone who got me sucked into playing the lead in the school play is the problem!"

"Geez! I just _asked_!" Taichi said, defensively, "Wait a minute…_you_ got the lead in the school play?" He burst out laughing, "Good one, Yamato! It's not April Fools' is it?"

Yamato resorted to glowering at his friend, "That _is_ the problem, you baka! I got the lead in the stupid school play! To top it off, it's Romeo and Juliet…and Sora is Juliet!" 

"You-you're the _lead_?" Taichi was practically wetting himself, "A-and _Sora _is playing opposite you? BWAHAHAHAHAHAH-" His round of insane laughter was cut off when his friend tackled him.

"Ow! Hey -"

"You big haired idiot! I need you to help, not laugh!" 

"Yamato!! Let go of my hair!!" Taichi yelped, attempting to fight back, "Baka! Let's see how _you _like it!" He grabbed a fistful of Yamato's prized blonde locks, "Ha! Take that!" 

"Let go! I swear Taichi, if you ruin my hair, I will hunt you down and kill you!"

"I'd like to see you try!" 

Passers-by stopped to stare and the two teenagers squabbling and screaming obscenities in the middle of the park, but neither of them took any notice.

"Damn it, Taichi!!"

"Take that!"

"Ow!!"

"Quit it!"

This fight was going to last awhile…

(*)(*)(*)

A/N: Well, I hope that was somewhat amusing…yet drama-ish. *Cough* Reviews are _welcome_. (Of course!) Thanks to all those who reviewed before! Erm…I hope that there was enough Sorato in this to satisfy you Sorato hungry fans. ^.^ I don't know the names of Yama-kun's band members, if anyone knows, please email me! [smabbi@hotmail.com][1] As another little side note, I wanna start hosting Digimon fics at my website, so if you have any fics, send em in to me and I'll let you know if I wanna host them. Arigato! Please review!! Ja!

**_~ For Smee-chan, cuz you inspire me ~_**

**_ _**

© 2001-06-12

Smabbi-san__

   [1]: mailto:smabbi@hotmail.com



	4. Chapter Three: Of Break-ups, Make-ups an...

Playing The Part

Playing The Part

** **

Disclaimer: Me no own Digimon…though I'd like to own Yamato…

A/N: Thanks to all the people who reviewed! (If you didn't, shame on you! I'll sic Yamato with bad hair on you if you don't review this one ^.^) Uh, sorry this one has taken so long to get out, I've actually had it all written, but I've been so busy with school that I haven't had a chance to type it up. *sweatdrops* Heh, oh well, enjoy it! P.S – Sora's Twin, thanks for the suggestion, I would have used it, only I already had the next part written up! *sighs* Keep suggesting though, you never know when I'll get writer's block! Thanks again! 

(*)(*)(*)

Chapter Three: Of Break-ups, Make-ups and Kisses

Sora rearranged the roses on display for the fiftieth time.

"Ow!" 

She glared at the offending rose, a ruby red drop of blood was beading on her finger. Frowning, she stuck the bleeding finger in her mouth, _Have I ever had a worse day?_

_ _

Yamato reacting so coldly had just been the icing on the cake, she'd been late to school that morning, received a disastrous mark on her calculus test, receiving yet another assignment and had worn her brain out trying to figure out a problem in her chemistry assignment that was due tomorrow. She had never been so relieved when the bell rang for lunch, and she had never been more embarrassed when she tripped and fell down the steps in her hurry to get out of physics. To top it all off, she had forgotten about her Japanese test, she was almost positive she had flunked it. After school she had had to race back to her maths room to ask her teacher some questions about her assignment and had been late for rehearsal. Then, Yamato had brushed her off when all she had been was worried about him.

The store bell jingled, startling her out of her thoughts, Sora cursed softly under her breath, removed her finger from her mouth and turned to face the customer. She found herself looking into a set of amazing blue eyes, "I-uh-Yamato…" she stammered, caught off guard. He was the _last _person she had expected to see, she took a deep breath to regain her composure, "Can I help you?" She asked coolly. 

"I-well, you see, um – I'mreallysorryaboutwhathappenedearlier," he said in one breath.

"Nani?" 

"I'm really sorry about acting so coldly towards you earlier," he repeated softly, "I shouldn't have reacted like that, you were only – Sora? Are you okay? You look kinda flushed…" 

Self-consciously, she raised a hand to her cheek. He was right, judging from the temperature of her face, she was probably fire engine red by now, "I'm fine, I've just never, ever heard you apologize to before."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, somewhat indignantly. 

She grinned, "It means, my friend, that you are a stubborn, hard headed, idiot."

"Hey! I'd appreciate it if you _didn't_ mistake me for Taichi," he protested, "I'm the cool one, remember?"

"_That_ still remains to be seen, Mr. Cool," she teased, giggling slightly, "All you do is play in a band!" 

"No autographs, please," he said, unconsciously quoting himself, "Just get in line and you can take a picture."

She elbowed him, laughing properly now, "You are so full of it, Yamato!"

He smirked, "I wouldn't be me if I wasn't," his expression sobered, "I _am_ sorry, Sora. I don't want you thinking that I've forgotten the real reason I came here. I was just pissed at the world in general, and took it out on you." 

She stared at the ground for a moment, "You know, Yamato, I'm probably the _only_ girl in school that doesn't want to be your friend just to get with you. I'm your _friend_, we've been through a lot, and you bite my head off just for trying to _be_ a good friend and caring about you."

"I'm sorry, I know it really doesn't help, but I honestly am," he gave her a small smile, "I even got Taichi to beat some sense into me." He gave her a pleading look, blue eyes wide, "Forgive me?" He asked, holding his arms out for a hug.

She had to, especially when he gave her _that_ look, it was his tried and tested, patented, 'You know you love me and you want to forgive me…just cuz you love me _so _much' look. "Okay," she sighed, "I really, really _hate_ that look, y'know that?" 

"Yay!" He cheered, hugging her, "We're cool?" 

"We're cool," she said affirmatively, returning the hug, "You _really_got Taichi to beat you up?" 

He grinned, "Not without getting a few good hits in myself!" He said proudly, "He messed up my hair, I made him pay."

"I don't know what to do with the two of you," she said, half affectionately, half exasperatedly.

"You sound like my mom."

"Shut up," she said, whacking his arm gently, "Now, get out of here, I have to close up." 

"I'll see you at school then…mom," he smirked, turning to run when it looked like Sora was going to throw a potted fern at him, "Ja!" 

She laughed, watching him run away, "Ja!" She called, waving, "You baka…" she murmured, still laughing, relieved that everything seemed to be okay again. 

(*)(*)(*)

"Okay, try it again."

With a groan, Yamato lay back down, "How many times do we have to do this?"

"Until they get their lines right," Takani-sensei replied, tersely, "Will you _please_ lie still, Yamato." 

Yamato shot one more annoyed glance at his 'parents' and 'cousin' before resting his head back on the floor. Bored, he began to tap his fingers rhythmically on the wooden platform his was lying on.

"Yamato!"

_Oops._ He winced, probably not a good idea to make Takani-sensei even more worked up. Tiredly, he shut his eyes, lately he'd been having trouble sleeping, his days were packed full with school, rehearsal and band practise. To top it all off, Teenage Wolves were supposed to be playing a concert that weekend, and they weren't ready. Of course, the main things keeping him awake were his dreams, he could never remember them, but they certainly weren't restful, causing him to toss and turn all night. _If only-_

"YAMATO!!"

"Huh?!" 

Takani-sensei looked ready to scream, he took a deep breath, evidently, this wasn't enough as he took several more soon after, "_That_ was your cue." 

"Oops, are we going to do it again?"

There was a vein pulsating on Takani-sensei's forehead, Yamato had never noticed it before, it really made his teacher look deranged.

"No, we are _not _going to go over it. We've gone over time as it is, we're supposed to be rehearsing with the Capulets now. Montagues, Benvolio, go home, we'll pick this up tomorrow."

For the first time, Yamato noticed Sora sitting in the front row, reading her script intently, he grinned evilly, sneaking up on her.

"Boo!" 

"AHHH!" She yelped, throwing the book in the air, unfortunately for Yamato, it smacked him on his forehead, "You baka!" She yelled, glaring at him.

Yamato rubbed his forehead in pain, "You didn't have to throw the book," he whined pathetically, "There's gonna be a bump there now!"

"Aww, poor baby," Sora teased, "Has poor Yama-kun got a boo-boo? Want me to make it all better?"

Summoning up the most pathetic expression possible, Yamato nodded sadly, "Yes pwease, mommy." 

(*)(*)(*)

She leaned in, close to his face, close enough to smell his cologne, her heart fluttered wildly in her chest, _What the heck is wrong with me? He's just my friend and we're just goofing around, this should _not_ be affecting me this way…_ It seemed like a million butterflies had just taken flight in her stomach.

(*)(*)(*)

Yamato's heart stopped, before resuming a frantic pace, _She's… so… close…_ He could feel her breath on his skin, smell her shampoo, _I- why am I reacting like this? It's just Sora…_ Her lips were so close to his skin… it was driving him nuts, _I- it's just Sora…_

(*)(*)(*)

She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, it seemed to last an eternity, then she pulled back, looking into his deep eyes, she forced a smile, "All better?" She asked, hoping he wouldn't notice how choked her voice was. 

"Y-yeah…" he blushed slightly, _Her lips are so soft…_

"TAKENOUCHI! Get on stage, now!" 

The awkward moment broke and Sora ran up the steps to the stage. Yamato's eyes lingered on her retreating form for a moment, then, regaining his composure, yelled after her, "Thanks, mommy!" 

She grinned and rolled her eyes, turning back to listen to the instructions Takani-sensei had for her. He stared at her for a moment longer, wishing he could sort through his jumbled thoughts and emotions.

It's just Sora, she's just my friend…

(*)(*)(*)

A/N: There you go! Hope that satisfies the Sorato junkies. Sorry if it's a bit short, I took it out to type…then realised I only had about 3 pages of draft…I made it a bit longer though. (All hail me!) Review, review, review! I really don't wanna be like the authors who threaten people with no chapters if they don't review… I'm having fun! Constructive criticism welcome, of course! I'll get the next part out soon…promise! I already have a page written, suggestions are welcome! Ja!

© 2001-06-22

Smabbi-chan 

**_~ For all my reviewers, my bestest buddies… and *him* ~_**  
  



	5. Chapter Four: The Things We Do For 'Art'

Playing The Part

Playing The Part

** **

**Disclaimer**: Digimon is not mine. However…I _do_ like the Sorato ending. But seriously, a word for Tolei: Yamato an _astronaught_?? What were you people thinking?!

**A/N**: Thanks for all the nice reviews! I'm glad you people like this fic! Sorry about the wait, I'm on holiday…and I write this fic in school. ^.^() That and I'm sick, the doctor told me I have a chest infection. *sigh* Now, normally I don't plug my webpage here, but I want more people to sign my guestbook…so, go there! (And sign away!)

[http://www.envy.nu/smabbi][1] Thanks! R&R, nice long ones! 

(*)(*)(*)

Chapter Four: The Things We Do For 'Art'

"You want me to do _what_?!" 

Takani-sensei sighed, "Sora, it's not that hard, really."

She scowled, "You've never seen me dance," stubbornly, she crossed her arms, "I'll make a complete fool of myself!"

"Sora, you _have_ to! It's part of the play! Listen, it's going to be completely choreographed, there'll be other people dancing on stage with you, it won't be that bad!" Takani-sensei stared at his female lead pleadingly, wondering how he had managed to secure such a stubborn cast. 

He sighed, Ishida Yamato was another problem, he watched the teenager saunter into the hall, greeting other cast members and waving to the anxious fangirls who were clustered outside squealing excitedly when their idol so much as looked at them. 

It had become obvious after the first week of rehearsals that Yamato's fangirls were a distraction the cast couldn't afford, especially when several of them were found hanging from the lighting early one Saturday morning. They were now banned from the rehearsal area, but the number of them that waited outside never ceased to amaze the teacher, after all, Yamato wasn't _that _great, was he? 

Takani-sensei sighed again, he was getting a headache, "Sora… at least _talk_ to the choreographer, okay? It's only one dance and I really don't see why we should re-write the scene just because you don't feel like dancing in front of an audience."

Sora frowned, "Okay, I'll think about it." 

"Good," he smiled, aware and relieved that the disaster was temporarily averted, "Can we get on with this rehearsal? Lord Capulet…where's Masa?" 

"He forgot his script!" Someone called from the back, "He's run home to get it, said to go on without him!" 

Takani-sensei rubbed him temples, it wasn't possible to go on without him, this scene consisted of Lord Capulet and Juliet, no one else. He closed his eyes, trying to dispel the pain in his head, this was going to be a long day.

(*)(*)(*)

"Sensei?"

"What now?" The rather tense teacher raised the half smoked cigarette to his lips, inhaling deeply. 

"This can't be right," Yamato protested, waving his script in the air, "Look at this!" He waved the book in front of the teacher's face, almost knocking the cigarette from his lips.

"Mr Ishida, are you claiming that the playwright is _wrong_ in some way?" Takani-sensei asked incredulously, "What's the problem?"

"There's a _kiss _written into this scene!"

Takani-sensei sighed, emitting a cloud of smoke, "Mr Ishida, this is the first of _many_ kisses, get used to it!" 

"What?" The teenager turned pale, "You don't expect me to _kiss_, Sora?"

The teacher flicked the remaining stub of his cigarette to the ground, grinding it out under his heel, "Surely you don't have a problem with that, Mr Ishida? After all, you are the one with all the fans are you not?"  
  
"That's different!" The blonde protested, "Sora's my _friend_!" 

"Mr Ishida, you will kiss her. You are playing Romeo, she is playing Juliet, it's a part of the play. Now, I suggest that you enjoy the remainder of your lunchbreak." He replied coolly, walking away.

"Damn it!" Yamato threw the script at a nearby tree, wondering how it was possible that one play could cause him this much stress. 

"Yamato?" She approached him half-warily, "Is everything okay?"

He forced a smile, he really didn't want to upset Sora again, plus it seemed a silly thing to be upset over. Friend or not, Sora was a member of the opposite sex, and they were _weird_, if he told her what was bothering him, she would more than likely get insulted, "I'm fine, just a little stressed over all these lines we're meant to learn." 

She laughed, "They're horrible, aren't they? I don't even understand half of what I'm saying sometimes!" She paused for thought, "Hey, are you doing anything tonight?" 

He shrugged, running a hand through his messy blonde hair, "Just band practise. Why, what's up?" 

"Nothing, I just wanted to know if you wanted to get together tonight and rehearse some of our scenes."

He raised an eyebrow, "Get together tonight, huh? Sounds good."

"Baka!" She hit him with a book, laughing, "You're so arrogant sometimes, Yamato!"

"Hey," he grinned, struggling to fend off her attack, "_You_ should watch how you phrase things! I'm a hormonally charged teenage guy, a dirty mind is part of the requirement!" 

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever," she hit him one more time for good measure, "My place? Around eight?"

He smirked, "Sure, that gives us plenty of time," he said, lowering his voice to a suggestive tone to annoy her.

Sora raised her eyebrows threateningly, "Run." 

(*)(*)(*)

"Sora! Hey, Sora!" 

She turned, not recognising the voice and regretting the fact she hadn't as soon as saw who it was. Motimaya Jun wore a scowl on her face. Sora sighed, "What is it, Jun?" 

"What's this I hear about you and Yamato going out on a date tonight?" She demanded, glaring at Sora, "You _know_ he's mine!" 

Sora was tired, she had been at school all day, having classes and a two hour rehearsal after that, now, she had a shift at the flower shop, Jun's overbearing attitude was the _last_ thing she needed, "Look, first of all, Yamato is my _friend_, so it's not a date and I can hang out with him if I want to. Secondly, we're _rehearsing_ our parts for the school play and thirdly, he's not _yours_, Jun. I don't see your name branded across his forehead, and even if it was, he's free to spend time with whoever he wants!" With that, Sora pushed past the open-mouthed girl. 

(*)(*)(*)

"Wait, you left her standing there?" Yamato burst out laughing, "Man, I wish I had been there! I'd have _loved_ to see the look on her face!" 

Sora mock-glared at him, then grinned, "Don't you get sick of her following you around?" 

Yamato shrugged, "Yes," he shuddered, "Like the time she tricked me into a date." 

She laughed, "And the time she followed you guys when you went camping?" She reached over, patting Yamato's head, "Poor Yama-kun, too many obsessive fans?" She cooed teasingly.

He sniffled, putting on his best sad look, "Yeah. There's only so much of me to go around!" 

She rolled her eyes, tossing the script at him, "You hungry?" 

"Not really," he replied, picking up the book and flipping through it, "Which scene do you want to rehearse?" 

Sora reached over and grabbed it from him, "The balcony one, we're rehearsing it tomorrow. You're not supposing to use this anymore, Yamato," she scolded. 

He pouted, "But I _need_ it!" He whined, "Can't we use it this once?"

"No," she placed the book on the table, "You're not allowed to use it tomorrow anyway."

"But I _know_ I'll really need it," he paused for a moment, looking up at her, "Weren't you making food?" 

(*)(*)(*)

"…be but foresworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet!" Sora paused, racking her brain for the next line, "Uhh…" she looked at Yamato helplessly, "Prompt?" She asked hopefully.

He smirked, waving the book in front of her face annoyingly, "Uh…no? Whatever happened to: 'We're not supposed to use it anymore, Yamato!'" 

She scowled, lunging for the book and almost falling off the sofa, which was serving as a makeshift 'balcony', "Yamato! How are we supposed to rehearse? Give me the script!" 

He laughed, "This is much more fun, besides, you said -"

"Forget what I said! We need to rehearse!" Sora yelped, falling off the sofa completely. She landed on her annoying friends and snatched the book away from him. 

Thinking quickly, he quickly flipped himself over, trapping her under him, "We're not using the script," he repeated softly, "Be a good girl and give it to me."

"I - uh…" She stared at him, feeling his breath on her face, "No?" It came out more of a squeak than in defiance. _He's so very close…_

He briefly wondered what it would be like to lower his lips and kiss her, feel her lips against him. _What _are_ you doing?! _His brain was screaming at him, but he decided to ignore it, "Y'know," Yamato continued conversationally, "There's a kiss written in this scene," his breath quickened and he leaned in closer to her, so close that their noses were almost touching, "I say, we rehearse _that_ part."

She swallowed, "I – uh…" _What is he doing? Is he teasing me? _She wasn't going to back down if he was, "Maybe, we…should -"

She was cut off as he pressed his lips to hers. 

(*)(*)(*)

**A/N:** Does that qualify as a cliffhanger? I've always wanted to write one of those! *grins* Aren't I evil? I need lotsa reviews and people to sign my guestbook if you want me to continue! Nah, I'll write it anyway, just cuz it's really, really, fun! ^.^ But I'd _like _the reviews and signings. Enough Sorato for you peoples? Hope so. Well, guess I better get started on the next chapter…and finish off my physics assignment…Ja! 

© 2001-07-15

Smabbi-chan 

**~~ For everyone who reviewed the last chapter and my inspiration ~~**

   [1]: http://www.envy.nu/smabbi



	6. Chapter Five: I'm Confused, Are You?

Playing The Part

Playing The Part

** **

**Disclaimer:** Digimon is not mine. However, I do own all original characters that make their appearance in this fic. (Although none appear in this chapter…) 

**A/N**: Thanks for all the nice reviews, guys! **Silver Eagle – **So, you're saying you love it? **Sarah **– Glad you liked it. ^.^ Hope this part's as cute… **Raie** – Soon enough? *grin* **Nikki** – I'm trying, I'm trying! **Pluto Power** – Hope this makes you happy! **Spiffy-chan** – Yama in tight leather pants? *drools* **Becky** – Does this help the suffering? **Smiley **– It's _hard_! *whines* But I'm trying! **Relena** – Glad you like, hope you like this one as much. **Dragonfire** – Thanks for the email and review! Don't you _hate _the weird looks? Lol. **Sorato luver – **Of course I will! Ya didn't think I was going to leave it there did you? **Enchantress** – Wahoo! I'm evil! *does dance of Jyou* **Katz** – I'm going as fast as I can! **Cali-chan** – What would I do without your hyperactive reviews? I love 'em! Keep them coming…and I'll write more, I promise! **Lia –** Aww…thanks for the huggle! **Sora's Twin **– I'm feeling much better, thanks! Hope this halts the slow painful death you're going through. ^.^()

(*)(*)(*)

Chapter Five: I'm Confused, Are You?

She felt the world tilt, the feel of his lips was, simply put, amazing. _I didn't expect him to follow through…_ Then the thought was swept away in a tidal wave of pure, unadulterated emotion. She didn't understand what she was feeling, nor did she want to. For now, this was enough, being close to him, kissed by him, this was what she wanted. Slowly, a new thought surfaced, hitting her like lightning, _'This is all a joke to him…'_

(*)(*)(*)

He was surprised when she pulled away. The kiss seemed far too short, incomplete. He stared into shimmering auburn eyes, _Are those tears?_ The enormity of what he had just done hit him, _Baka! What were you thinking?!_ He screamed inwardly, opening his mouth to say something, anything, "Sora, I-I didn't mean-"

"I think, you should go."

Five simple words, and they cut him to the bone. He hung his head, _What have I done?_ "Okay," he whispered, voice filled with remorse, "If that's what you really want."

She stared at his retreating figure, blonde hair highlighted by the harsh overhead lighting. His hands were deep in his pockets and his entire posture screamed 'upset'. Him leaving was the last thing he wanted, but she couldn't call out, couldn't stop him. _Why?_ She asked herself, _Why can't I? I want to, so why can't I?_ Because it hurt, because she was confused, because she wanted to be alone, because- excuses filled her mind and when she looked up again, he was gone. 

(*)(*)(*)

He leaned against a tree, mind going a mile a minute. She'd kicked him out. She'd kicked him out and he wasn't the least bit surprised. _What were you thinking?_ Therein lay the problem, he hadn't been thinking, just acting on instinct. "Stupid," he muttered, kicking the hapless tree, "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

He didn't even know who he was madder at, himself for being an idiot, or her, for not accepting- _What?_ he asked himself bitterly, _Not accepting my love?_ _Did_ he even love her? He certainly cared for her, enough to want to kiss her, enough to follow through on that selfish desire. But love? Ishida Yamato in love? It was doubtful, he didn't believe in that. His parents had been in 'love', look where it had gotten them; a divorce, a child per parent, a divided family. No, love wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

He sighed, _Sora doesn't deserve that._ Not to be hurt like his mother had been. Like father, like son, right? He cared about her too much to let her go through that. He wouldn't let her go through that. "Gomen nasai," he whispered softly into the breeze, ignoring the pain in his heart. 

(*)(*)(*)

She couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning, she felt tears forming in her eyes. _Why did he do that?_ If he hadn't kissed her, she could have lived in ignorance of her feelings.

Even now, she didn't understand them; Yamato was supposed to be her friend. Period, full-stop, the end. Or so she'd thought. _So, why do I want him to be something more? _This could ruin their friendship for good, if not for him, then for her. She wouldn't be able to look at him and not remember those lips, soft and warm against hers. Sora felt her face grow warm, he _was_ a good kisser. The moment replayed for the hundredth time in her head.

_"I say, we rehearse _that _part." _

_ _

_She swallowed, "I-uh…Maybe, we should…"_

_ _

_His breath caressed her skin softly and she caught a glimpse of his bright blue eyes before his lips touched hers. In moments she found herself in an almost perfect kiss that left her head spinning._

"Yamato…" she barely noticed the word leaving her lips. This was the last thing she needed; to turn into one of his overly-obsessive fangirls. 

_Why did I ask him to leave?_

Everything would be okay if she hadn't reacted like that. They would have laughed, brushed it off as a joke…remained friends… She sighed, turning over in bed, _I'm so stupid! _Why_ did I do that? Why, why, why?_

Seeing him flirt with the other girls would now break her heart. _And he'll do it over and over again without realising…_ A tear squeezed out from under her shut eyelid. 

She wished she could sleep, anything was preferable to going over this again and again in her head. _This is all his fault…if he wasn't so perfect-_ No, she couldn't really blame him. She _knew_ it wasn't really his fault. He didn't know her feelings, _she_ hadn't known her feelings…until that kiss. _Ugh! This is so _stupid_! I just want to get to sleep!_ Irritated, she threw back the covers and left the room in search of a drink. Hopefully, it would help clear her mind.

"Sora? What are you still doing up?"

"Just getting a drink, Kaa-san," she called, filling a glass with water. 

"Don't stay up too late, okay? You've got school tomorrow," her mother replied. 

"Yeah," she murmured, swirling the remaining water in her glass.

_How am I going to face Yamato at rehearsals tomorrow?_

_ _

(*)(*)(*)

A single lamp illuminated the room, casting its glow on a bent head, intently focused on the sheet of paper he was scribbling on.

Insomnia had set in, so he'd decided to work on his music. Pausing for a moment, he strummed a chord on the guitar perilously balanced in his lap. 

He seriously doubted that he would sleep tonight, thoughts of his own stupidity kept plaguing him. The chords he was playing sounded disharmonious, they jarred in his ears, even the words weren't flowing in the way they usually did. He threw the pen down, "What did I do?"

For the first time, Ishida Yamato realised how much he needed his friends, Sora especially. His life would be empty if she wasn't in it. _Some friend I am._ He glanced at the crest and tag of friendship lying on the desk, next to his digivice. _I never asked to be the digidestined of friendship. I don't deserve it, and I never did. _

_ _

He rested his head on his desk, _What am I going to do?_

(*)(*)(*)

**A/N**: This was probably the hardest chapter I've had to write. Yeah, I threw out all the innocent flirting and teasing…basically all the humour in this one. It's _angst_! I really hope you guys like it. It's taken me ages to write and I think it's pretty good. (Listen to me sing my praises…lol ^.^;;) Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and who will review. 

**To those reading on Fanfiction.net:** Review please!

**To those reading on my webpage:** Sign the GB! (If you haven't already)

© 2001-08-07

Smabbi-chan 

**_~~ Sora ni hirogaru tenshi no koe kaze ni dakarete ~~_**


	7. Chapter Six: Strained Relations

Playing The Part

Playing The Part

** **

**Disclaimer:** Digimon is not mine. However, I do own all original characters that make their appearance in this fic. (Although none appear in this chapter…) 

**A/N:** Less reviews for the last chapter, but I guess that's because Fanfiction.net was offline for so long. Well, this chapter's less angsty…and kinda short. O.o I'm sorry for the long wait, but I've been so busy with my writing folio for school, I've got a lot going on right now. *sigh* I'll write more soon, less Sorato in this though. Hopefully it'll keep all the junkies going. 

(*)(*)(*)

Chapter Six : Strained Relations

** **

She slammed her locker shut, then, at the sound of a familiar voice, opened it again. Operation: Avoid Yamato was being put into effect.

"Ladies, please! I just need to get to my locker!"

Ah, the ever-present fangirls. She noticed there were less of them hanging on to his every word today. 

"Back off, okay? I just need some space!" 

And, from the sound of it, he was mad. It couldn't be about last night's events…could it? _Is he angry with me?_ He had no right to be, after all, _he_ was the one who had kissed her. _If anything, I should be angry with him_

(*)(*)(*)

She was avoiding him. Normally, she would have come over to say 'hi' and tease him about his fans by now. _Not today…_he thought bitterly.

He wished the _fangirls_ would avoid him. He'd managed to chase most of them off, but the persistent few remained. Unfortunately, that persistent few included…

"Yama-kun!" 

_…Jun_ He sighed, "What is it, Jun? I need to get to maths." 

"Well," she began, offering him a bright smile, "I heard your date with Sora didn't go so well last night," she gave him an impulsive hug, "So, I wanted to remind you that there are plenty of other fish in sea…and that I'm free tonight." 

He saw red. She might be Daisuke's sister, but she was possibly the single most annoying person on the face of the planet, and he was going to let her know.

He slammed his locker door shut and turned to face her, "Firstly, Sora is my _friend_, secondly, my personal life is _none_ of your business and thirdly, I wouldn't go _anywhere _with you…even if you were the last person on the planet!" He yelled, ignoring her startled look, "So would you _please_ leave me alone!" 

Tears welled in her eyes and he watched with some satisfaction as she ran off crying. 

The satisfaction faded when he saw the reproachful look Sora was giving him from across the hall. He tried to tell himself that it didn't matter, but it did. _Kami…_ he banged his head against his locker, ignoring the concerned tittering of the remaining fangirls and feeling horribly guilty, _Can't I do anything right?_

(*)(*)(*)

He just _had_ to be in her maths class. She sighed, trying to concentrate on what Sakoshita-sensei was saying and ignore the persistent taps on her shoulder. _Doesn't he ever quit?_

"Sora!" Yamato hissed, _I have to make this right…somehow. If only she would acknowledge me._ He tried poking her with his pen again, grimacing in frustration when she continued ignoring him. _Ah, what the hell, she can still hear me, no matter how hard she tries._

"Sora," his tone turned pleading, and she told herself to be strong, "I'm _sorry_. I don't know what happened last night. I just…" he paused for thought, "It was stupid of me and…don't be mad, Sora. I know I haven't been a good friend lately, but-"

"Mr Ishida! Do you have something to share with the class?" 

He found himself looking up at his glaring teacher, "I – uh…" 

Sakoshita-sensei's scowl deepened, "I'd advise you to move over there," he pointed to a desk near the front of the room, "So that Miss Takenouchi can actually get some work done." 

With a sigh, Yamato picked up his books. 

(*)(*)(*)

"What should I do?" Yamato wailed, pacing across the room, eyes glued to the floor. 

Taichi's fist caught him by surprise, sending him flying. "What was that for, baka?" He demanded angrily, rubbing his cheek and raising his fists. 

"_That_ was for kissing Sora," Taichi moved towards Yamato threateningly, "And the next one is for being so stupid!" he shouted, taking another swing.

Yamato ducked, only to have Taichi's other fist connect with his stomach. "Sora's not just another one of your airhead fangirls," Taichi hissed, "You can't just screw around with her emotions like that, what kind of friend are you?" 

Yamato was gasping for breath, "I _didn't_," he managed to protest, "It just happened!" 

Taichi looked at his friend suspiciously, "Why'd you do it?" 

The blonde haired teen was still doubled over in pain, but he managed to glare at his supposed 'friend', "I don't know! She just looked…" he trailed off, blushing. 

Taichi lowered his fists, looking at his friend with interest, "Looked?" 

"It's nothing," Yamato replied quickly, blushing a deeper shade of red. There was no way he was going to tell _Taichi_ that he'd thought Sora looked beautiful that night, with her brown eyes sparkling.

"I don't think so," Taichi was smirking now, enjoying his friend's embarrassment, "You're going quite red, Yamato." 

In fact, if it was possible to go even redder, Yamato would have. _I just had to open my big mouth, didn't I?_ Stubbornly, he shook his head. 

"Tell me," Taichi teased in a singsong voice, "Or I'll tell everyone about how I kicked the great Ishida Yamato's ass!" 

"Nani?! You didn't kick my ass, you caught me by surprise!" Yamato yelped.

"Well, who're they gonna believe, a pretty boy wimp like you, or the captain of the soccer team?" 

Yamato straightened, "You couldn't kick a flea's ass!" 

"Oh yeah?" Taichi raised his fists again, "You're on! If I win, you tell me how Sora looked…"  
  
"And," Yamato said coolly, "If _I _win, you shut up about this."

"Deal," Taichi stuck out his hand and Yamato shook it. 

(*)(*)(*)

**A/N:** Eh, boys will be boys. This is really a filler chapter. Who will win? insert evil laughter I know, do you? I promise there'll be more Sorato in the next one. This was more Yamato than anything. O.O;; Okay, well, review! Sign the GB! Do something! . Ja!

© 2001-09-01

Smabbi-chan 

_ _

**_~ Yuugure ni hibiki kodomo-tachi no koe wa egao o tsurete kieteiku ~_**


	8. Chapter Seven: Conflict of Interests

Playing The Part

Playing The Part

****

**Disclaimer: **Digimon and its characters are not associated with me. Tolei owns them. Even Yamato. (T.T) Besides, if I was Tolei I would _not_ have come up with a series called Digimon Tamers…without the old digidestined. 

**A/N:** My humblest apologies for being so very _late_ with this chapter. I was sorely lacked for inspiration. Then I discovered that the geniuses at TV2, bless their souls, were showing digimon re-runs. Thus, I am fully inspired and ready to write. Domo arigato to all the people who reviewed the last chapter. This one is longer, and I think it will appease all you Sorato junkies. Oh! This takes place _directly _after the last chapter. I'll shut up now.

Yamato: *mutter* Finally…

Smabbi: *whaps Yama* I wouldn't talk…you're not gonna like _this_ chapter…

Yamato: *runs and hides* Save me!! 

(*)(*)(*)

**Chapter Seven: Conflict of Interests**

****

"Give, damn it!" Taichi tightened his hold. He had Yamato in a headlock which _technically_ meant that he had won their little fight. Yamato had, however, decided that stubbornness was the way to win.

"Ne-never," he choked out melodramatically, struggling to free himself. His head was starting to turn a brilliant shade of purple.

"Dude, I don't wanna _kill_ you," Taichi protested, "Just give up. It can't be _that_ important!" 

Yamato's hands gripped Taichi's arm, trying to pull it away from his neck, "I am _not_ letting you win!" He coughed violently, trying to free his trapped head. 

Taichi let go and the blonde teenager fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Gradually, his face returned to its normal colour. Taichi studied his recovering friend worriedly. Yamato was stubborn about certain things, but what could he have thought about Sora, a mutual friend that was so secret? _Unless… _His eyes widened. 

"You like her," Taichi accused.

Yamato glared from his seated position. "Of _course_ I like her, baka! She's my friend!" 

"Uh uh," Taichi shook his head emphatically. "You _like _her." He grinned, "Yamato's got a crush on Sora!" He sang, dancing around in an insane manner, "Yamato's got-"

He grabbed the big haired boy and pulled him into a seated position next to him, "Shut up!" He hissed, "Why don't you just tell the whole freaking school?"

Taichi grinned triumphantly, "You _do_ like her!" 

"I-" Yamato sighed, running his fingers through his hair, he'd walked right into it. _How'd Taichi get so smart?_ "Look, just shut up okay?" 

Taichi settled into a comfortable position, "Why don't you tell her?" He eyed his friend, watching for his reaction. Yamato shook his head in response. "What?" Taichi asked sarcastically, "Too wild and outrageous for Mr Cool Ishida?" 

"It's not that. She's _Sora_." 

"Uh huh," Taichi nodded like he understood. He paused, waiting for Yamato to elaborate. When his friend clammed up again, Taichi got impatient, "Was there more to your wisdom or was that it?" 

Yamato resumed glaring at his friend, "I'm getting there! Jeez…I'm just not telling her, okay?" 

Taichi whapped him on the back of his head, "You've got to tell her, baka!" 

"I _can't_," Yamato moaned miserably, "She hates me!" He buried his head in his arms.

"I don't think so," Taichi replied doubtfully, "She was miserable at school today. She'd hardly talk to _me_!" He added, making it sound like Sora not talking to him was the all important factor.

"Really?" Yamato brightened visibly, "She was miserable?" 

"Don't sound so happy about it," his friend grumbled, "Sora miserable is depressing." 

"No, it's just that she doesn't hate me!" Yamato cheered. He checked his watch, "Crap! I'm late for rehearsal!" 

Taichi rolled his eyes, "Will Sora be there?"

"I think so," Yamato said, climbing to his feet.

"Are you going to tell her?" Taichi leaned back so he could look his now standing friend in the eye.

"No, I have to apologize first," Yamato said, taking off at a run when he realised just how late he was.

Taichi didn't move from his seat on the ground as he watched his friend's departure. "There goes the biggest baka in Japan," he mumbled under his breath. 

(*)(*)(*)

He hadn't shown up yet. She supposed that this could be a good thing. After all, out of sight, out of mind, right? On one hand, she was angry, using what had happened as an excuse to not show up to rehearsals was childish. The cast and crew had put so much effort into the play. They didn't have the time to replace Romeo, _if_ they could even find a replacement. On the other hand, she was a little sad. _He must really hate me… _She sighed, _Not that _I_ did anything wrong…_

When had she become so unsure of herself? She used to be so confident, so unworried about guys, she'd always _been_ one of the guys. Kissing Yamato had changed all that. She picked at her skirt hem absentmindedly, everything came back to him. It wasn't fair. One guy shouldn't be able to turn her life upside-down that quickly. She caught the rather annoyed look that Takani-sensei was giving her and busily began to study her script. 

It wasn't long before she was lost in her thoughts again. _This is not _fair_! _She wasn't supposed to be so caught up, so _enamoured _by one guy. 

"Uh, Sora?"

Her heart jumped at the all too familiar voice. There he was, blonde hair suitably messy, crystalline eyes full with a mixture of hope and guilt, lips curved into a sheepish smile. 

"Y-yamato," she half stammered, cursing herself for doing so, "What are you doing here?" her voice came out harsher that she'd have liked and his smile faded slightly before re-asserting itself. 

"I'm Romeo, remember?" He sat down next to her, pretending to ignore the fact that she was being less than friendly. He was determined to make things right between them again. Unfortunately, his newly recognised feelings were making him nervous and he wasn't sure how to start. _Try apologising, baka!_

She pretended to study her script, although the words appeared as nothing more than a blur to her teary eyes. She blinked rapidly, _How can he just _sit_ there and act like nothing happened?_ Maybe it hadn't meant anything to him, but it had been important to her, he should have more concern for her feelings. _How can he be so _cold?_!_

__

"Sora," his voice again interrupted her mental ravings, "Look at me, please?" 

She sighed; there was that pleading tone she couldn't resist. Reluctantly, she lifted her eyes to his. "What do you want, Yamato?" She asked, deliberately keeping her voice cold, "Haven't you done enough?" 

He faltered at that, "I-uh…" A blush covered his cheeks as he realised that the rest of the cast was listening intently to their conversation. At his glare however, most of them hastily returned to whatever they had been doing. Yamato grabbed Sora's wrist, pulled her to her feet and dragged her from the room.

She tried to pull her arm free from his grip, but he was stronger than she was, "Where do you think you're taking me?" She demanded angrily. 

He stopped in the small courtyard outside the hall, "Here. We need to talk _without_ nosey people eavesdropping." 

She sat down on the bench, justifiably annoyed at his attempt to be commanding, "Talk. _I_ have nothing to say." 

Irritated, he ran his fingers through his hair, _Why the hell does she have to be so stubborn? _He needed a _plan_. Ignoring this newly sprung animosity was obviously not going to work. "Sora, about last night…" he paused, searching for words.

"Is that what this is about?" She interjected, forcing a weak laugh, "Don't worry about it, Yamato. It's practically forgotten."

"Really?" He asked sceptically, "Then why're you so angry?" 

"Because you just dragged me out here like I was your _property_!" She spat, "You don't own me, Yamato! We're friends; a friendship is based on the fact that we're both _equals_," She looked him straight in the eye, "And, _friends_ don't take advantage of each other." 

He cringed at that, "Sora, I-"

"What? You're sorry? Lately you're always sorry, Yamato!" She was finally giving vent to the anger and frustration she'd been holding back for the last few days, "Try something else for a change!" She was unaware of the tears running down her cheeks.

Roughly, he pulled her into a hug, realising how distraught she was and how much she needed a friend right now. "I know I've been apologising a lot lately," he murmured softly in her ear, "I haven't got _any_ excuse. I got carried away and I… If you never want to see me again, I understand. You just have to tell me." He continued to stroke her hair, allowing her time to think. 

(*)(*)(*)

His closeness unnerved her, _Why does he have to be such a good friend? _She knew he was waiting for a response, a response that she didn't have. She _could_ say that she never wanted to see him again, that would mean throwing everything away. Their friendship, begun in the digital world and cultivated long after that. _Can I do that? Can I just tell him to leave?_ Could she handle losing one of her closest friends? Not without serious heartache. Not without forever wondering what _could_ have been. 

_But, I don't know if I can't forgive him…_ She knew forgiveness wasn't the real issue. There was nothing to forgive. The pain came from being near him, being close to him, but always being a friend. Nothing more. _Can I live with that?_ She would have to tell him that the kiss, the one that meant the world to her, meant nothing. She had never been a good liar, how could she hide the extent of her feelings for him for any amount of time? 

_I can't be apart from him, but I can't be near him…kami, what do I do? _

__

(*)(*)(*)

His heart was pounding so loudly that he was surprised that she didn't hear. He fought to keep his breathing even. He closed his eyes, despite the tension; he wanted to savour the moment. _Whatever she decides, I'll accept it_ He had to, he could deny her nothing, if she said that she never wanted to see him again, he would make sure that he was never in her presence.

_If only I could hold her like this forever…_

__

He _would_ tell her, no matter what she said. He had to tell her, his heart felt like it would burst with the amount of emotion that was bottled there. 

He was, however, plagued by doubts. _What if I tell her, and she doesn't feel the same way? _He breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of her shampoo, _What am I going to do?_

All his life, Ishida Yamato never had to worry about whether a girl liked him. Girls were literally throwing themselves at his feet. He was the centre of their teenybopper universe, and he kind of liked it that way. There was nothing to worry about; his fans would do anything for him, he was always the one who ended a relationship, confident that it was the right thing to do.

Now, he found himself completely out of his depth. He had no idea of how to proceed, how to make her feel the way he did. He held her tighter, never wanting to let go.

_I can't lose you now, Sora, not when I've just realised how I feel. _

__

(*)(*)(*)

_I can't do it…_ She felt her resolve slipping; _I can't tell him I never want to see him again._ Pulling from his embrace, her eyes met his azure ones and there was nothing she could do to stop the words from her mouth, her heart had made the decision for her. 

"Yamato, this is silly," she forced a weak smile, "I'm just wound up because of the play. Last night, you confused me, that's all. Of course you're forgiven! It was nothing, right?" 

The words that had been forming on his lips died. _Nothing? It meant nothing to her?_ He had been such a fool, thinking that she could love him too. _Kami, of _course_ she wouldn't. How could I have been so stupid? We're just friends, that's all we'll ever be. _He had to say something, she was still waiting for him to respond, "I-"

"Sora! You're wanted on stage now!" 

She looked at him pleadingly, "Yamato?" 

"_Sora!_" 

He winced at the harsh shout, "Yeah, we're fine," he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring look, "You'd better go," he reminded her gently. 

"Yeah," reluctantly, she slipped from his embrace, "Aren't you coming in?" 

"Soon," he replied, unable to shake the melancholy tone from his voice, "It's quiet out here," he grinned half-heartedly, "No fangirls you know." 

She smiled, "Yeah…" _He'll be okay, but I don't know if I will be. _Keeping the smile on her face, she ducked through the open doorway. 

(*)(*)(*)

He watched her retreating back, wishing that she had never left his arms. _Sora…_ His blue eyes were pained; _I don't know what I feel anymore._ These feelings were overwhelming him, confusing him. 

His eyes wandered over to the empty doorway and he sighed, _Sora, I think I'm falling in love with you… _

(*)(*)(*)

**A/N**: Ahh, done! Well, I hope you guys like the chapter. Sorato, right? Don't worry, it won't be angsty for long. No really, how much Yamato torture can I write? I luv him really! On a fanfic posting note, (for FF.net readers) I won't be posting new fics on FF.net due to the numerous changes to the feedback system. I'll keep posting chapters though. Visit my [webpage][1] to find new fics. 

Yamato: *reads the above chapter* Oh kami! You've turned me into a lovelorn sap!! 

Smabbi: Yama-kun! You came out of hiding! *glomps* 

Yamato: ICK! *struggles to get free* 

© Smabbi-chan

2001-10-09

   [1]: http://www.envy.nu/smabbi



	9. Chapter Eight: Helping Hands

Playing The Part

****

**Disclaimer: **Digimon and its characters are not associated with me. Tolei owns them. Even Yamato. (T.T) Besides, if I was Tolei I would _not_ have come up with a series called Digimon Tamers…without the old digidestined. 

**A/N:** Thanks to all the wonderful people who review! I love you guys so much! There's too many to name, but I just wanna say thank you to Claire (here's another chapter, hope you like it!), Lia (you've reviewed practically every chapter domo!), Chichamunkyhead (I've read _all_ your fics and LOVE them…I'm honoured that you reviewed mine!), Cali-chan (keep the hyper reviews coming!) and dragonfire (so far, you're still the only one who emailed and I wuv you for it ^.^) To everyone else who reviewed, thanks so much and keep 'em coming! Spiffy-chan…this chapter's for you…you finally get the leather pants…

Yamato: Nooooo! Save me!!

evil laughter 

(*)(*)(*)

**Chapter Eight: Helping Hands**

Yamato fidgeted, adjusting his tight, black leather pants in an attempt to get comfortable. No such luck. He sighed resignedly, if it was this bad after ten minutes, how was he going to last through a two hour show? He heard half-stifled snickers coming from behind him and turned to find Sora, a hand covering her mouth and trying her darnedest not to laugh out loud. 

He allowed himself a moment to admire _her_ costume, which, admittedly was _much_ better than his. She was suitably medieval looking, low-cut red dress that laced up the front allowing a glimpse of the white, lacy bodysuit beneath. He felt his pulse quicken, _Just friends, Yamato. Just friends. _He summoned up a rather pathetic excuse for a grin and waved her over.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, trying to look insulted. Still grinning, she pointed at his costume and he groaned slightly, "This is gonna _destroy_ my cool guy image…" 

"It's not that bad," she said, managing to keep a straight face, "I mean, the too-tight pants _do_ compliment the hugely puffy sleeves. You're image won't be destroyed, just knocked down, dragged through the mud and…" she trailed off in another fit of giggles. 

He scowled, "Oh, go ahead and laugh, you'll probably die from lack of air if you don't." 

"P-poor Yamato," she choked out between giggles, "What _are_ your devoted fangirls going to say?" 

"Places, people!" Rao, the stage manager called, "Yamato, Sora! Quit flirting and get where you're meant to be!" 

They both flushed, each refusing to meet the other's eyes. "Uh…good luck," Yamato muttered, staring at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"You too," she said, still blushing furiously, "I-uh…better go." 

(*)(*)(*)

Taichi poked Koushiro in the shoulder, "Hey where are Yamato and Sora? Don't tell me they decided to skip out on one of our ever thrilling assemblies!" he exclaimed sarcastically. 

"Nah, I don't think so," Koushiro replied, taking the nearest seat and shifting slightly so his friend could sit next to him, "I think Sora said they had to do something for the play." 

"Oh," Taichi was about to say something else, but the lights in the hall dimmed, effectively putting an end to all the chatter. 

The curtain slowly rose and Yamato appeared centre stage, between two large uplifted screens with a shadowy forest superimposed on them. An excited chatter rose from the first few rows of the hall, where most of Yamato's loyal fanbase had congregated. Taichi snickered at his friend's less than fashionable outfit. 

"Yamato!! I love you!!" 

Both Taichi and Koushiro sweatdropped as they watched one Motomiya Jun try to climb on the stage. The sweatdrops grew profusely as the girl was carried off by two teachers, still yelling that she loved Yamato. 

"Daisuke's sister huh?" Taichi muttered, still staring at the scene.

"Uh huh," Koushiro nodded, still lost for words.

Yamato began speaking, drawing attention back to himself, "Oh detestable maw, thou womb of death, gorged with the dearest morsel of earth. Thus," he raised his arm, striking downwards with the crowbar held in his hand as he continued, "I enforce your rotten jaws to open!" A crash emitted from the sound system and Yamato stumbled forward. 

He froze in place and a voice could be heard from behind the screen, "This is that haughty banished Montague. That murdered my love's cousin, with which grief it is supposed, the fair creature died, and here to do some villainous shame to the dead bodies. I will apprehend him!" 

Yamato raised his torch high, looking around the room, waiting for Nao, who played Paris to come forward. There was a shuffle, then Nao appeared in the opening between the screens, "Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague!" The boy's eyes widened as he noticed the people in the audience, he paused for a moment, obviously searching for his lines.

Yamato was sweating nervously, if Nao messed this up, Takani-sensei would have their heads. From offstage, Rao could be heard whispering loudly, "Can vengeance be pursued further than death?"

Nao recovered, shaking his head slightly and moving forward, "Can vengeance be pursued further than death?" He gave 'Romeo' a dirty look, circling him suspiciously, "Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee. Obey and go with me, for thou must die."

'Romeo' moved to the side of the stage, feigning a desolate look, "I must indeed, and therefore came hither. Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man. Fly hence and leave me, think on those gone, let them affright me." Yamato summoned up his best pleading look, he'd used it enough on Sora the last couple of days to get go practice, "Oh, be gone! By heaven," he paused for emphasis, "I love thee better than myself, for I come hither arm'd against myself. Stay not, be gone! Live, and hereafter say, a madman's mercy bade thee run away." 

'Paris' moved forward, "I do defy thy conjurations, and apprehend thee for a felon here!" 

"Oh wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee boy!" Yamato and Nao drew their, there was a tense moment when he recalled how, during rehearsals, the swords would to get caught on the belt loop they were held in. Luckily, they got the swords free with no problems. 

Moving in near perfect synchronisation, the Nao chased Yamato on a merry dance around the stage, around the tombs and behind the screens. On the way down, Yamato half tripped, losing a shoe. _Crap! _He almost freaked out, before remembering Takani-sensei's advice. _It's okay, just keep going, Yamato._

He slashed at Nao, before the other boy effectively disarmed him, the sword narrowly missing Juliet's still form. Using his lit torch, he swiped at the still-attacking Paris. Yamato grabbed his dagger and stabbed Paris in the back. 

Melodramatically, Nao staggered backwards, making sure that he was near the tomb he was supposed to die on.

"Oh, I…am…slain…" so saying, he collapsed with a thud. 

Yamato winced at the noise. _That had to hurt._ He moved over to the dead body, "Let me peruse this face," he held the guttering torch close to Nao's face. The other boy's eyelids flickered a little at the heat and light, "Mercuito's kinsman, the noble county Paris! What said my man, when my betossed soul did not attend him as we rode? I think he told me that Paris should have married Juliet. Said he not so? Or did I dream it so?" Yamato tapped his shoeless foot on the floor and heard Nao try to stifle a laugh. Under cover of studying his face in thought, he poked the 'dead' body. "Or am I man, hearing him talk of Juliet, to think it was so?"

His gaze fell on the sill form on the tomb next to him, "Here lies Juliet," he apprehended a suitable expression of love and loss, easy as he _did_ love her, "And her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light." He moved over so he could observe her better, "Oh my love! Oh my wife! Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath, hath no power yet over thy beauty." Gently, he ran a hand over her cheek, hearing her sharp intake of breath. 

"Tybalt!" He looked over to the third tomb, "Liest thou there on thy bloody sheet? Oh, what more favour can I do thee, than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain to sunder his that was thine enemy? Forgive me, my cousin!" He allowed his eyes to be drawn back to Sora's still form, "Ah, dear Juliet, why art thou yet so fair?" He paused, allowing his eyes to linger on her still face, "I will stay with thee," he said, voice uncharacteristically gentle, "And never from this place of dim night depart again. Here, here I will remain, with the worms as thy chambermaids. Oh, here I will set up my everlasting rest, and shake the yoke of inauspicious stars from this world wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last!" he proclaimed, studying her face yet again, "Arms, take your last embrace!" He paused, wanting to build on the moment. _Oh Sora, if only you knew how much I care about you…_ "And lips, oh you, the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss, a dateless bargain to engrossing death!" 

He raised his eyes to the audience, twisting his face with anguish, barely aware that many of his fangirls in the audience were on the verge of tears, "Come bitter conduct! Come unsavoury guide!" his voice rang through the hall, "Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark! Here's to my love!" His fingers clasped around the vial hanging on a chain around his neck, hands trembling, he uncorked the small bottle, lifting it to his lips. 

He gasped, "Oh, true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick!" He lowered his head, pressing his lips against Sora's, his eyes widened in surprise when she responded, sending shivers up his spine. He pressed harder, wanting to deepen the kiss, wanting to taste her, wanting to make the moment last. A sense of euphoria washed over him, he was in heaven, with his angel. _Sora…_

(*)(*)(*)

She hadn't meant to respond, but the thrill of his lips against hers was too much to ignore. Now, she was lost in the heady wave of passion conveyed through his lips. _Yamato, why do you do this to me? Why do you make me want to fall in love with you?_

Her lungs were begging for air, but she never wanted this to end. His fingers dug into her face almost painfully, half raising her face to meet his. 

She knew this wasn't supposed to happen, they were supposed to be acting, there were _people_ watching them, they were- Swiftly, she pushed the thought away, surrendering fully to his kiss.

(*)(*)(*)

She moaned softly and he snapped out of it. _Oh Kami, what am I doing?_ His cheeks flushed red under the dim lights of the stage. He was supposed to be acting, not making out with his best friend in front of half the school. He looked down at her again, her face was flushed but she lay deceptively still. Her lips tempted him, swollen and red from their make out session. "Thus…" his voice dropped so low that those in the front row had to strain to hear him, "With a kiss, I die." Still blushing, he collapsed beside his lady-love. 

(*)(*)(*)

Taichi and Koushiro had huge sweatdrops on the back of their heads. "Uhh…I'm no expert on Shakespeare, but I don't think that's in the play…" Koushiro began doubtfully. 

Taichi scratched his head, "Well…" he smirked, "I think things are getting interesting. I think we should go backstage and congratulate them on their acting." 

(*)(*)(*)

Sora pulled on her green school uniform in a panic. _Oh kami, what was I thinking?_ Her costume lay on the floor and she picked it up and smoothed the creases it had acquired. Her face flushed red again as she remembered that kiss. _His lips…_ Her hand stole up the side of her face to touch her lips, _What have I done? I said that we'd just be friends, I said that I wouldn't…fall in love with him…_ Tears clouded her reddish brown eyes, hurriedly, she hung her dress on the rack that had all the costumes on it. _I need to get out of here. I need to think…_ It wasn't like her to skip school, but this was an emergency. She was going to the digital world. Biyomon would give some advice, she hoped. 

(*)(*)(*)

"Yamato! Great performance!" Taichi slapped him on the back jovially. 

"Yeah, I don't think _anyone_ expected that last kiss. One would think that you really loved Sora." Koushiro chimed in.

Yamato gave his red-head friend a nervous look, Koushiro had the closest thing to an evil look gracing his normally open features. "Really?" his voice squeaked, "Why, whatever gave you that idea?" 

Taichi gave him a look that clearly said, 'Who do you think you're fooling?' "Oh I don't know," he began sarcastically, "The fact that you had your tongue down the throat of a supposedly _dead_ woman…" 

Yamato flushed, "Shut up, Taichi," he muttered, but his heart wasn't really in it. 

"It's really blatantly obvious, Yamato," Koushiro said with a laugh, "Does Sora know?" 

Yamato kept his eyes glued to the floor and Taichi let out an exasperated sigh, "You didn't tell her?" He ran irritated fingers through his hair, "Why not?" he demanded. 

"Wait," Koushiro interrupted, "You _knew_ about this? Why didn't you tell me?" He looked insulted.

Taichi sweatdropped, remembering a conversation similar to this one, "Uh…I practically had to beat the information from him. I thought he was going to tell her," he shot Yamato an accusing look at this point, "So, I figured that…well…it wasn't that important." 

Koushiro threw his hands in the air with exasperation, "No one tells me _anything_! I don't understand why not. I mean, it's not like I have a big mouth or anything…" 

"Guys?" Yamato interjected, "As fun as it is to listen to the two of you argue…it's _my_ life and I'd prefer it if the two of you kept out of it." 

"Uh uh," Taichi shook his head, "Too late my friend." 

"Yeah," Koushiro put aside his annoyance at being left in the dark to join forces with Taichi, "As your friends, it's our _duty_ to be nosy. You wouldn't want us to abandon our _duty_ would you, Yamato?" 

Taichi grinned, "Besides, _you_ are obviously not able to tell Sora how you feel. So," he slapped Yamato on the back, "We are willingly offering our help." 

Yamato groaned, "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

(*)(*)(*)

**A/N:** Sorry this has taken awhile. This actually turned out the complete opposite of what I had planned. *sweatdrops* I felt like I needed to put in a little Romeo and Juliet…what with all the people demanding Yamato in tight leather pants…

Yamato: Incidentally, I find those pants a disgrace!

Why? 

Yamato: They're so _tight_!

Hence the description "Tight leather pants…" 

Yamato: What did I ever do to deserve this?

Next chapter: Sora in the Digital World! Yamato, will he survive the 'help' that Taichi and Koushiro offer? 

© Smabbi-chan

2001-11-12


	10. Chapter Nine: Dreaming in Digital

Playing the Part

_Disclaimer: Digimon is not mine. As much as I play around with the storyline, it will never be mine. This is for F-U-N…_

_A/N: Wow! 122 reviews altogether! You guys are so great! I'd like to thank all of you for taking the time out to review!! I luv you guys! All the old reviewers, the new reviewers…_

Yamato: That's everyone.

*glare* Yeah, but I'm not finished… *sniffle*

Yamato: What more is there to say? 

The people who write LONG reviews, the people who write SHORT (one-word) reviews (y'all know who you are…I luv ya anyways), the Sorato fans, the Taiora fans…

Yamato: TAIORA fans?

Yeah, isn't it cool? I'm hoping to convert lots now! I got such NICE reviews…

Yamato: *nods and smiles* Yes, that's nice… *whispers* She only got 4 hours sleep last night…so…

Anyway! On with the fic!! 

Yamato: There's no more leather pants in this, is there? 

I'll never tell…

(*)(*)(*)

**Chapter Nine: Dreaming in Digital**

****

He couldn't find her. Taichi and Kourshiro just figured she was skipping school, something they all did at need, but he knew her. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't do something like that without good reason. 

His heart thudded painfully in his chest, wild thoughts running through his head. _Maybe she's sick…or hurt…or upset… He stopped dead in his tracks, __Maybe it was the kiss…_

How could he have been so stupid? And to do something like that in front of the whole school… He groaned, _She hates me, she definitely hates me. There was no other plausible reason for her to leave school so quickly. _

_Just when we were getting along too… Yamato could swear that he was cursed, lately he could never seem to stay in Sora's good books. He couldn't help it, when he was near her he seemed to lose control, he just wanted to be close to her, to hold her, to kiss her, to… He blushed as he realised where his thoughts were going. __Hentai! He scolded himself, he had to find her and make sure she was okay before his could do __any of that. His blush deepened. __Just find her!_

He sighed, it was hard for him to keep their relationship on the 'just friends' plateau. He wanted to be so much more to her. No girl had ever turned him down, he was aware of that, but all the girls wanted him because he was Ishida Yamato, lead singer of the Teenage Wolves, no one wanted him just because he was plain Ishida Yamato. As a result, he never allowed himself to get really close to a girl, Mimi and Sora were the only exceptions to that rule, Sora more so than Mimi. He and Sora just got along so well, she was a great listener, and a good friend. She never asked for anything in return for anything she did. She was everything he wasn't. To him, she was perfect. 

He had never known anyone to fit their crest as Sora fit hers. They all had the qualities pertaining to the crests, but love was obvious in Sora. She cared about people, she worried about people when she didn't need to. He still remembered how she'd looked after Takeru in the digital world for him, he could never forget that. Back then, his younger brother had been the reason he had kept going, the reason he'd tried to keep the peace with Taichi. Sora was the crest of love personified, when he often felt that the crest of friendship should have gone to someone else. 

Yamato grinned suddenly, realising where she had gone. _The digital world! Why didn't I think of it in the first place? Now he just had to make his way to the elementary school so he could use the computer room there. _

"Mr Ishida? What are you doing out of class?" 

Yamato groaned again.

(*)(*)(*)

It was quiet here. She liked that. So maybe it was a little childish to go running off to the digital world like that, but she needed the time to think. _And to get away from Yamato…_

The source of all her problems, she picked up a small rock and flipped it in to water of the lake. She looked around at her surroundings, this was where they had first arrived in the digital world, it was also where they had said goodbye to their digimon at the end of their adventure. She smiled slightly at the memories. _I never thought my life would get more__ complicated… But it had, and the complication had a name, Ishida Yamato. _

"Sora? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Biyomon poked her pink head out of the bushes bordering the lake. 

She waved her friend over, "I am, but I needed to think and to do that I needed to get away from school. I figured that the digital world would be the perfect place to do that." 

Biyomon settled down next to her human partner, "Oh, okay, do you want to talk about it?" 

Sora ran a hand through her auburn hair, smoothing tangled strands, "Well…it's kinda awkward, Bi…"

"Is it Yamato?" 

She was surprised at her digimon's perceptiveness, "What do you know about me and Yamato, Biyomon?"

The small bird-like digimon laughed, "I know you like him. And I know he likes you." 

"Really," she cocked an eyebrow sceptically, "How do you know that?" 

Biyomon shrugged, "The way he looks at you, the way you act around him," she grinned, "Oh, and Gabumon told me." 

Sora laughed outright, "He did, did he?" She reached over and hugged her friend, "Thanks, Bi." 

"What for?"

"For making me feel better," she sobered slightly, "But the problem isn't about that, I didn't even know I cared about him that way until a couple of days ago, and I probably would have been better off _not knowing." _

Biyomon shook her head, "It was so obvious, Sora, even when you guys were stuck here in the digital world. After all, wasn't it Yamato that rescued you from the darkness?" 

She smiled fondly at the memory, "I'd forgotten about that…" she murmured, "I guess I was just too young to realise…"

"Realise what?" Biyomon asked innocently.

Sora blushed, "I really, really, like him Bi. _Really like him," she sighed, "Every time he kisses me…"_

"He _kissed you?" her digimon interrupted her walk down memory lane, "When? What happened? Why didn't you __tell me?"_

Sora sweatdropped, "You're sounding so much like Mimi it scares me, Bi," she sighed, "He kissed me a couple of days ago. _I don't even know what happened, we were rehearsing for the play and he just __kissed me," she flushed slightly, "And it meant nothing to him…" she finished with a sigh._

Biyomon patted her friend on the knee, "Don't worry about it, Sora. Maybe he _did mean it." _

"But I can't let myself be caught up in the 'maybes', Bi! If that happened I'd never get out of bed," Sora wailed, "I just wanted to forget about it, especially since he'll never feel the same way. But then, today…" 

This time it was Biyomon who sighed, "Why do you love Yamato, Sora?" 

_Love… That word again, the name of her crest, the virtue that supposedly existed so predominantly in her. Strange that she should hold the crest of love and never have experienced love, till now. Everyone seemed to assume that she and Taichi would fall in love, and she did love him, as her best friend, Taichi was always the guy who made her day brighter, if she was having a bad day, he could cheer her up. But he was like the brother she never had, whereas Yamato…_

Yamato was Yamato. Stupidly simple, but true. There was no other way to put it. He was funny, witty, talented, angry, guilty and serious all at the same time. Yamato carried so much baggage from his past, hid himself under so many layers, that there had been times when it was hard to see the real him. She knew him better now, understood his moods, understood why he was like that. Or, at least, she _thought she did. _

Lately, he'd been as closed off as he had been the first time she had met him. Sure, they were getting along fine, but he'd been quieter, more serious. It was like he'd been trying too hard to make everything normal. She lay back on the grass, _Why do I love Yamato? Maybe it was because he'd never tried to be anyone but himself around her. In school, he always seemed to be maintaining his 'cool image', he was the smooth, suave ladies man, a part he played well, but around her, he was just himself. She knew about his insecurities, she knew how important the cool image was to him. It was his attempt at acceptance, it was how he knew he was loved. He had grown up in a family where love seemed to be in short supply, sure, he knew that his parents loved him now, but, in a sense, his fans, as annoying as they were, were his security. _

Only she knew about his nerves before the Teenage Wolves first major performance, she'd been the one to calm him down, telling him he'd be great, that he'd blow them away. And he had. Only she knew what a truly great friend he was, how supportive he was, what a great brother he was to Takeru. She grinned, Takeru was a great kid, and lucky to have Yamato looking out for him. Sora predicted strife between Yamato and Taichi in the future, as soon as Takeru and Hikari started dating, _if they started dating. _

"Sora?" 

  
She became aware of the impatient look Biyomon was giving her, "You never answered my question!" the small digimon complained, "Why do you love Yamato?" 

(*)(*)(*)

"Yamato! Hey, what are you doing here, nii-chan?" 

He cursed his bad luck, he'd spent five minutes convincing Takani-sensei that he wasn't about to take over the school, thanks to the congested traffic, it had taken him another ten minutes to get to the elementary school, and now, he just _had to run into Takeru and – he checked to see who his brother was with – Daisuke and Hikari. _

"Yamato?" Takeru became aware of the slightly frantic look on his brother's face, "What's up?' 

"Nothing, I, uh…I need to use the computer room," he blurted out, looking left and right, trying to determine the way. 

Takeru scratched his head, "Uh, aren't the computers in your school good enough or something?" he joked, "What's so important?" 

Yamato gave up, "I need to get to the digital world," he explained somewhat impatiently, "Which way to the computer room?" 

"Nothing's wrong, right?" Daisuke asked, a slightly worried look on his face, "I mean, our digimon aren't in trouble are they?" 

"No, nothing like that," Yamato fidgeted, obviously itching to go, "Which way, guys?" 

Takeru and Daisuke obviously had more questions, but Hikari stepped in, she had a faint idea of what this was about, especially since Taichi had come home the other night muttering under his breath about how people could never see what was right under their noses. Besides, she'd always thought Sora and Yamato would make a cute couple. "Down the hall, turn left," she said, before the other two could say anything more.

Yamato shot her a grateful look and dashed away. 

"Hikari-chan! What if something's really wrong?" 

She shook her head, "Takeru, if something was _really wrong he would have told us. Don't worry so much." She began walking towards the cafeteria, with the intention of telling Miyako about this latest development._

"Wait! Hikari-chan!" Daisuke yelled, chasing after her, "You know something about this, don't you?" 

Takeru was hot on his heels, "Hikari, Daisuke! Wait up!"

(*)(*)(*)

"Why do I love Yamato?" she took a deep breath, "I don't exactly know, Biyomon. I love him for so many different reasons."

"Well, tell me one of them," her friend pressed gently, "You can tell me one, right Sora?" 

Sora shrugged, "I guess because he's such a great guy, y'know?" she looked to her digimon for confirmation, "He's always been such a good friend…"

"He does hold the crest of friendship," the digimon pointed out dryly.

"Do you want to know or not?" she mock-glared at her friend, "He's cute," she laughed, "I know it's not really important, but he _is and I guess that's a plus."_

(*)(*)(*)

His blood was roaring in his ears, he really shouldn't be listening to this, it was a private conversation. But he couldn't help himself, he needed to know this. 

"Yamato?"

"Shh!" he hissed, glaring at the striped digimon that had appeared beside him, "Gabumon, keep it down!" 

"Sorry," the wolf-like digimon apologised, "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"Looking for Sora," Yamato muttered, straining to hear Biyomon and Sora.

Gabumon peered around Yamato's legs, "Well, I'd say you've found her…" 

"Be quiet, I'm trying to listen," Yamato murmured, giving his digimon a rueful smile, "I don't want her to know we're here, this is important." 

Gabumon listened for a moment, 

_"…I know that' s not important…that's a plus…"_

He pulled on Yamato's pant leg, "Are you sure you should be listening to this? It's private isn't it?" 

"Gabumon!" Yamato whined softly, "For the last time, be quiet!" 

Gabumon sighed.

(*)(*)(*)

"The thing is," Sora continued, "It all just _happened! I didn't even realise that I loved him until it was too late." She looked at her friend sadly, "Isn't there some rule that says you're not allowed to fall in love with one of your best friends?" _

Biyomon shook her head, "I don't really know, Sora, I'm not human, remember?" 

"This is crazy, Bi," she sighed, "I mean, I just seem to lose it when I'm around him. He's bound to figure out sooner or later, and it's going to ruin our friendship. I don't want that," she said sadly, "He's been so distant lately and I don't know why." 

(*)(*)(*)

Yamato didn't know whether to be happy or sad. On one had, Sora loved him, on the other, she was upset because of the way he'd been acting lately. _I've been hurting her, I never wanted to do that. _

"Yamato!" Gabumon hissed, "I think this is a good time for you to make an appearance."

"What?" he whispered loudly, "Gabumon are you crazy? Then she'll know I was eavesdropping!" 

Gabumon rolled his eyes, "Yamato, you're going to have to tell her sometime," he gave his partner a questioning look, "You _do love her, right?" _

"Well…yeah, but-"

Gabumon pushed Yamato out of the bushes.

(*)(*)(*)

He landed on the ground with a crash, causing Sora and Biyomon to turn around. Blushing, he climbed to his feet. "Uh…hi guys," he offered weakly.

Biyomon gave Sora a hug, "Tell him," she whispered in her friend's ear before leaving the two of them alone. 

Sora beckoned him over, "What are you doing here?" 

He flushed a darker red, sitting down beside her, "I…I was worried when you disappeared after assembly," he muttered, finding the ground infinitely interesting. 

"Oh," she was quiet for a moment, studying her shoes, "Yamato…"

He looked at her, hope shining in his sky blue eyes, "Yeah?" 

"I love you."

(*)(*)(*)

_A/N: I am evil!! MUWAHAHAHA!! I love cliffhangers, don't you? *giggles* Reviews are wanted for this chapter, it's been the longest so far and I hope you guys like it! The story is slowly but surely drawing to a close…scary thought huh? I'm having a blast writing it! I think I spaced out the angst and the (sort-of) humour sufficiently. I got quite into the whole character analysis huh? Oh well… Reviews, flames, comments, criticisms, GB signings… these are all acceptable. My email is smabbi@hotmail.com just so you know. Next chapter coming soon!_

© Smabbi-chan

2001-11-18


	11. Chapter Ten: Emotions Revealed

Playing the Part

_Disclaimer: Digimon and the characters involved in it belong to Tolei. I write about it because…I don't know why!! Look, just don't sue me, okay? _

_A/N: Thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapter! 21 reviews in one day! I'm honoured. *bows deeply* The story is slowly coming to an end. *sniffle* I think this will be the last one…don't worry…EPILOGUE! Now…to the individual reviewers…_

**Takanori – Yamato's always cute…hope you like the chapter. (I love your webpage!! Kawaii fanart!) ****Lita – You don't think the R&J's taking a bit of a backseat? Glad you like it! ****Angel busishi – Get to the other chapters!! *grii~ns* I hope you like the rest of it. ****Ice Angel – I'm happy you think it's realistic. I get most of my inspiration from the show so I try to portray the characters as accurately as possible. ****Crayon – Patience my friend, I promise you, the leather pants will show up again. (Yamato: NOOO!!) ****Imagyner - *giggles* Sugar highs are fun are they not? ****Mel – I'm the best?? Really? Thank you! ****Relena – Thanks for the review…now, I'd like to ask about when you'll be updating Wolf & Camp…soon, right? *pleading look* ****Blue_Wolf – Syaoran? Where? Kidding…thanks for the review! ****RedFox – I love Taichi. I really do…I can't stand Taichi bashing! I just happen to love Sorato too! Thanks for the review! ****Sakura MysticMoon – Soon enough for you? I love cliffhangers…but only when I'm writing them! ****Goldenstar555 – I'm glad you like it! Realistic? I wish Tolei would actually _use it! _****Lia – *huggles* You've reviewed practically every chapter! Merry X'mas! ****Imaginationac – Wow…big words…thanks…I think… ^.^* ****Valerie – I like giving Yamato those cute little mannerisms. It makes him more real to me or something… *grins* ****Matt's Girl – I fixed the link just for you! Gomen, I can't spell… (Everyone else: GO READ THE FIC!) ****JLSCORPIC78 – I am _so evil…I am the ultimate evil with hot and cold running water even! Thanks for the review… *sweatdrops* _****Claire – I'm sad too… *sniffle* ****Blue Faerie – Done like a done thing! Hope you like it! ****Toni – Thanks for the sweet review!! *waves* Waii~!**

(*)(*)(*)

**Chapter Ten: Emotions Revealed**

****

_I love you…I love you…I love you…_

He just stared at her, lost for words. There were too many emotions, too many things he wanted to do and say. Part of him wanted to scream and shout, dance for joy, another part of him wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her, whispering over and over that he loved her too, the other part of him wanted to cry, and cry, and cry with happiness. _She loves me…she really, honestly loves me!_

"Yamato?" Her golden-brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears. _Kami-sama, I'm so stupid…why did I do that? "Yamato, did you hear me?" her voice dropped to a whisper. _

He was hurting her, his mouth worked soundlessly as he tried to gather his thoughts, his feelings into an appropriate response, "Sora, I-"

She was looking out over the lake now, "I understand, Yamato. I mean, I shouldn't even have told you. It's so stupid," she took a deep breath, tears now streaming down her cheeks, "But Biyomon said I should probably tell you, and…" She trailed off as he reached for her hand. 

"Don't cry," he murmured huskily, wiping the remnants of tears from her cheeks, "I don't like seeing you cry, Sora." He moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her, his hand sliding down from her cheek, cupping her chin, tipping her face up towards him. His breath felt cool along her tearstained cheeks and shivers ran down her spine. 

Slowly, he placed his lips on hers; kissing her like he'd wanted to for so long. He took pleasure in knowing that she wanted this kiss as much as he did. He gently increased the pressure, not wanting to scare her, but wanting her to know the extent of his feelings. _Sora…I love you so much… His tongue grazed her teeth and she opened her mouth to allow him more access. Her lips were soft, pliable, heavenly, he felt himself getting swept up in the moment, the tidal wave of emotions threatening to engulf him. His hands slipped down, resting around her waist, relaxing there for a moment before pulling her closer to him. _

She moaned softly, and reluctantly he pulled away from her lips, placing soft kisses along her neck. His mouth moved up to her ear, nibbling around the lobe, causing her to gasp softly. He blew in her ear, making her squirm slightly, "I love you too," he whispered, his warm breath tickling her, "I love you so much, Sora." 

Sora pulled away from him, searching his eyes for a sign that he might be lying to her. The clear blue orbs shone with honesty and love. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity of those eyes, and tears escaped her own eyes unbidden. _He means it, his eyes tell me everything. I can't believe he loves me that much. Her tears spilled over on her cheeks and she made no move to wipe them away._

He pulled her close to him, letting her tears soak his shirt. "I thought I told you not to cry anymore," he said softly, stroking her hair, "Why are you crying?" he asked, kissing her head gently. 

"Your eyes," she sniffled, burying her head in his shirt. _Kami, he smells good… _

Yamato's brow crinkled in confusion, "My eyes? What's wrong with them?" 

"Baka," reluctantly, she freed herself from his arms, smacking him lightly, "There's nothing _wrong with them!" she scolded teasingly as she wiped the tears from her face. _

"So what's the problem?" He was amused when she flushed slightly, "Sora…" he whined softly, "Tell me!" 

The red suffusing her cheeks deepened, "It's silly," she said, playing with the hem of her school skirt. 

He grabbed her hand, entwining the fingers around his own, "Nothing about you is silly," he said seriously, "I mean that, you can tell me anything." He grinned cheekily, placing a kiss on her hand, "Now, tell me?" he asked, giving her the all-too effective, Ishida Yamato patented puppy dog look. 

Sora stubbornly refused to look into his eyes, "No way, nice try though," her face still felt hot though and she knew she probably wouldn't be able to withstand the Prince Charming act coupled with the pathetic puppy dog look for long. 

"Tell me," he persisted, leaning in and placing a light kiss on her lips. She was cute when she was embarrassed, the flush added colour to her face and the fact that she was avoiding his gaze made him want to make her look at him more. 

She resumed playing with the hem of her skirt, not wanting to look at him. _He's gonna laugh at me… But if she didn't tell him he wouldn't shut up about it. "I, just…you really love me __that much, don't you?" she asked, suddenly meeting his eyes. _

It was Yamato's turn to blush, "I-uh…" he stammered, regretting his decision to weasel the reason for her crying from her, "I…"

Sora grinned, "Caught ya," she teased, "How do you like that?" 

Yamato pouted, annoyed at being caught out in his own game, "No fair," he whined, looking about ten years old. Still sulking, he plopped his head down in Sora's lap, receiving a glare from her when she couldn't fiddle with her hem anymore. Instead, she wound silky strands of his blonde hair around her fingers. She was mildly surprised at the texture of his hair, soft and smooth against her skin. There seemed little proof of the vast amounts of hair product Taichi and Takeru claimed he used. 

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for some moments. Sora realised that Biyomon had been right; she _should have told him a long time ago. Now that she had, she felt so much better and knowing that he felt the same… She was grinning like an idiot, but she didn't care anymore. __Ishida Yamato loves me! She felt like shouting it from the highest mountain and letting the whole world know.  _

Yamato closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Sora playing with his hair, not even caring that this _was his hair, and it was getting messed up. __I never thought I could be this happy, not in a million years. Only one thing was bothering him, he hadn't answered her question. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her __that much, he just hadn't thought that his eyes would betray him that way. __I don't want to scare her off…_

"Yamato?" Sora's gentle voice broke the silence.

"Hmm?" 

She stopped playing with his hair for a moment, "Where do we go from here?"  

"We don't have to go anywhere," he smiled up at her, blue eyes sparkling, "I'd rather be stuck in the digital world with you than be in the real world without you." 

"That's really sweet," she tugged on his hair gently, "But that's not what I meant." 

He winced slightly, "Well, what did you mean?" 

"A lot of people in the real world are going to hate me," she said, still playing with his hair absent-mindedly, "Your fangirls for example…" 

He moved to sit up, only to realise that her fingers were tangled in his hair, "OW!!" he yelped frantically, trying to disengage his hair, "Ow, ow, ow!!" 

Sora sweatdropped, "Don't be such a big baby, Yamato," she said laughing slightly as she combed her fingers through his now-dishevelled hair, "There, all better?" 

"No," he pouted, looking undeniably cute, "It hurts! Kiss it better?" he asked, blue eyes wide.

She moved towards him, kissing his head lightly, "There!" she said, satisfied. 

Yamato grinned mischievously, "Uh uh, it hurts _here," he said, pointing to his lips, "You gotta kiss it better, Sora-chan!" he pouted again, lower lip sticking out. _

"Oh really?" she raised an eyebrow sceptically, "Why don't I believe you?" she asked, laughing as she moved over to peck him on the lips. 

When she pulled away, he pouted again, "Not better yet," he proclaimed in a baby voice, "You gotta kiss it for longer." She socked him gently, giving him a proper kiss. "Much better," he grinned, then, remembering what they had been talking about he took on a serious tone, "Don't worry about the fangirls, Sora. They're just jealous." 

"Because I have you?" she teased.

"Exactly," he wrapped his arms around her, "They're scary sometimes, but I'll protect you."    

"I feel so much better," she mumbled sarcastically, smiling to let him know she was joking, "I mean, with you around, _nothing can go wrong! I have the mighty Ishida Yamato as my bodyguard, wow!" _

He kissed her again. 

(*)(*)(*)

"Hello? What? No, I haven't seen him…uh huh…no, he wasn't at school today…okay, yeah I'll let you know, bye!" As soon as Taichi hung up the phone it rang again. "Oh, konnichiwa Takenouchi-san! Sora? No, haven't seen her. Maybe she's at rehearsal? Oh, okay, none today huh?" there was a pause as he listened to the frantic mother at the other end of the line, "Uh huh, uh huh, okay, I'll call you if I hear from her – what? Yeah, yeah, I'll get _her to call you, bye." He hung up the phone again, mind working overtime. __So, Sora and Yamato are 'missing' huh? Interesting…wonder where they could be… He grinned evilly, heading for his room where the computer was. _

(*)(*)(*)

Yamato placed small kisses along her jaw line before turning his attention to her lips again. He whimpered slightly as Sora pulled away from him, "You shouldn't have all the fun you know," she admonished breathlessly, letting her lips travel down his neck, causing him to gasp in surprise. 

"Sora…" he moaned softly, pulling her closer until she was almost on top of him. Their kisses grew more frantic, his hands moving along her back, trailing fire wherever they touched.

"Ahem!" 

The two of them looked up in surprise, blushing furiously when they saw Taichi. Yamato sat up quickly, causing Sora to fall over and hit the ground with a thud. Apologetically, he helped her up, ignoring her glare. He ran his fingers through his hair irritably, "What are you doing here, Taichi?" 

"I could ask you the same thing," Taichi smirked wickedly, "I see you took my advice…" 

Sora smacked Taichi on the arm, "Baka, don't you have anything better to do?" 

"What, you mean like what you two were doing?" he teased.

She flushed red again, "Shut up, Taichi."

Yamato settled his arm around her waist, "You never answered my question, Taichi. Why are you here?" 

"Well," the brown-haired boy began, "I kept getting all these _calls from people. It seems that you," he pointed to Yamato, "Have band practise now, and __you," he turned to Sora, "Told your mother that you'd help out in the flower shop after school. Now, I don't know __why everyone decided to ring __me. But after a little thinking on my part-"_

"More like a lot of thinking," Yamato interjected snidely. 

Taichi glared at him, "I figured out that the two of you were in the digital world." He finished. 

"My mother is going to kill me," Sora groaned, "I haven't been able to help her out because of rehearsals lately and-"

Yamato silenced her with a kiss, while Taichi made gagging noises behind his hands, "Get a room!" 

"You could just go," Yamato suggested, looking rather peeved at all these interruptions. 

"No way," his friend said, "I'm here to drag the two of you back to the real world before people send out search parties," he grinned, "Just be glad I didn't bring anyone else with me!"  

Yamato and Sora paled at the thought. "He's right," Sora said reluctantly, "I have to go, like I said, I'll be dead if I don't show up soon." 

The blonde boy sighed, "Fine, let's go," he smiled at her, "We can come back later." 

Taichi rolled his eyes, "Whatever, if I stay near the two of you any longer I really _will throw up. The TV is this way!" he started to head back the way he'd come. _

Sora began to follow him, but Yamato grabbed her wrist, catching her eyes with his. "I really do, you know," he said softly, "Love you that much, I mean." 

She smiled, allowing herself to be enveloped in a hug, "I love you that much too," she said into his chest.

"YOU GUYS!!!" Taichi's roar caused the birds in the forest to take wing. 

Yamato laughed, "I guess we'd better go." 

"Yeah," she smiled, entwining her fingers with his.

(*)(*)(*)

_A/N: Got pretty steamy huh? *grins* That's it. Okay, maybe I __do have an epilogue planned, but the likeliness of it having a plot is slim. But it __will involve Yamato in tight leather pants, you can be assured of that. I've been on a bit of a writing kick lately. I'm a bit sad to be finishing this off, it's been going for five months! I can't believe it! For those of you that have been reading and reviewing from the start, I can't thank you enough, you guys are the best! Look out for the epilogue in the semi-near future! ~Smabbi-chan~ _

© Smabbi-chan

2001-11-20


	12. Epilogue: What Friends Are For

Playing the Part

_Disclaimer: Digimon and the characters involved in it belong to Tolei. I write about it because…I don't know why!! Look, just don't sue me, okay? _

_A/N: I can't believe you guys! Thanks for the beyond sweet reviews! (That's not good English, I know.) This is __it. This is the epilogue! Wow…I never thought I'd get here… This will be the first chapter fic I've ever finished! *looks sheepish* On to my thank yous!_

**JLSCORPIO78 – Taichi is naturally evil I tells ya! ****RedFox – My entire _purpose has been to convert you to Sorato…is it working? _****The Blue Faerie – I love making Taichi evil… *grins* Hope you like the epilogue. ****Claire – One of the best? *blushes* Thank you! ****Blue Wolf – Practise _does make perfect… _****Lia – What would I do without your random reviews that keep me up to date on your life? Keep 'em coming! Hope you like this… ****Toni – Don't you hate it when you say things out loud when you don't mean to? Lol ^.^ ****Ice Angel – This is the end…the epilogue. I hope you like it! ****Mel – I'm writing, I'm writing! *grins* You flatter me! ****Rita – I _might have an idea for another Sorato…but I'm not giving anything away… _****Takanori – Two reviews! Wow! Firstly, you stole Yama _and Tai! *looks sad* Secondly… WAII!!! Gackt-san! *heart-shaped eyes* KAWAII!!~ *blushes* _****Yama's Bi-atch – Just One Wish… *sweatdrops* Um…I could try…I've just been lost for inspiration lately for DBZ. Thanks for the review! ****Insane Hypa Kid – It had to end sometime…I'm sorry! ****Sora Crest of Love – I wish they'd put it on TV! Maybe I should sell it to Tolei… ****Angela – I will! Thanks! ****Krystal – Wow…people recommend my fics… I'm amazed and flattered that you read it. I hope the epilogue is as good as you expect it to be. **

(*)(*)(*)

Epilogue: That's What Friends Are For

The lights shone, half blinding the two of them as they ran out to Juliet's make-shift balcony. The applause was deafening. Yamato, his blonde hair glinting under the stage lights, gestured to Sora, who bowed, blushing at the cheers and claps. She then stepped back, wincing as Yamato's fangirls screamed at their idol, who also bowed. He straightened, then, grinning devilishly, wrapped his arms around Sora, kissing her deeply. 

They broke apart, flushed under the lights. For the moment, the audience was non-existent and it was just the two of them. "I love you," Yamato whispered, ever cautious of the microphone attached to his ear.

She smiled, her eyes radiating the love she felt so deeply. Reaching up, she drew his face close, kissing him again, her fingers combing through the soft blonde tresses at the nape of his neck. "I know," she murmured, as she pulled away from his addictive lips, "I love you too." 

He grinned at her, his gleaming white teeth the only outstanding feature as the stage lights dimmed and the audience's screams quieted, fading into a low murmur of chatter. "I can't believe its over," he said, helping her off the balcony, after a week the two of them had become experts in getting off the rickety structure. 

"Yeah," she said teasingly, "This is the last time I get to see you in those pants." 

He flushed, suddenly glad it was dark, "I still say they're too tight…" he muttered defensively. 

"Oh," she laughed throatily, "I think they show off your…_assets very well…" _

She allowed him to wrap his arms around her, teasingly placing a light kiss on her neck. "You mean they show off my _ass very well," he growled softly, "I felt like a piece of meat on display." _

"Tsk, tsk," she turned to face him, "Can't disappoint those fangirls, can we Yama-kun?" 

He kissed her nose softly, "Say that again." 

"You can't -"

"Not _that," he grinned cutely at her, "What did you call me?" _

"Yama-kun?" she asked, confused, "What's wrong with that?" 

"Nothing," he said, "It's just that before I was always just 'Yamato', that's all. I think I like being called 'Yama-kun'."  

She giggled, "Your fangirls call you 'Yama-kun'," she pointed out.

"You are much more to me than just another fangirl." 

She smiled sweetly, leaning in for another kiss. He tightened his grip around her waist, hands sliding possessively up to the small of her back. Her arms rested loosely around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened, her tongue grazed his lips gently and he opened his mouth slightly, allowing her more access. 

_I'll never get tired of kissing him… It was amazing how each kiss could be so unique, how each kiss could make her toes curl and send shivers racing up and down her spine. __If this is what it's like to be in love… The thought was cut off as she gasped slightly when Yamato nuzzled his face against her neck, kissing it lightly. A moan escaped her lips as she pulled him closer to him, almost needing to feel his body against hers. _

"Uh, guys?" 

The two of them broke apart, Yamato ran his fingers through his hair, a _very annoyed look on his face, "What is it now? I swear, with all these interruptions…" _

Sora covered his mouth with her hand, smiling sweetly at the still-blushing Rao, "Ignore him, Rao, he's just a little high-strung after the performance. Did you need us?" 

"Yeah," the youth faltered, embarrassed at having interrupted what was obviously a private moment, "Uh…Takani-sensei wants to see the both of you in the dressing room. The girl's dressing room," he added as an afterthought. 

Sora grinned, "I don't know why we call it the girl's dressing room, when the show's on, the whole cast congregates in there anyway…" she laughed, "We'll be right there." 

Yamato just rolled his eyes and allowed her to drag him from the room. 

(*)(*)(*)

"SURPRISE!!" 

The two of them recoiled from the sheer volume of the combined voices of the old and new digidestined. "You guys!!" Sora was half embarrassed, half pleased, "You shouldn't have!" 

"She's right," Yamato chimed in, "You shouldn't have." He looked less than pleased to be there. _We got interrupted for this? He would rather be spending some 'quality time' with Sora. _

Sora elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to wince slightly, "Don't listen to him, how'd you get in here anyway?" 

"Easy," Taichi grinned, "We told Takani-sensei we wanted to congratulate our very good friends on such a great opening night show." He winked at Sora, "And when he said no, we went to Rao, who was supposed to lock up for the night," he waved the keys in front of her triumphantly. 

Takeru stared at his brother, more specifically, his brother's outfit. "Um, Yamato? I don't mean to be rude or anything, but did they _paint those pants on you? They looked okay on stage, but," he bit his lip to stifle his giggles, knowing his ever loving older brother would kick his ass if he burst out laughing, "Can you - can you __move in those?" _

Yamato's blue eyes narrowed dangerously, "I am _not in a good mood, Takeru, don't push your luck." _

"I was just _asking," the younger blonde whined, "Pants that tight are probably illegal, ya know?" _

Luckily for him, Hikari managed to drag Takeru away before he could open his mouth anymore. "Takeru-kun, some advice," she smiled, shaking her head, "When in a hole, do not dig." 

The young boy blushed, scratching his head sheepishly, "I was just wondering, that's all." 

(*)(*)(*)

"Sooo…" 

Sora found herself surrounded by the remaining female digidestined, both of them with identical looks on their faces. "Err, hi guys, anything I can do for you?" 

Mimi grabbed one arm, and Miyako took hold of the other, "You can start by spilling the beans on you and Yamato," her pink haired friend declared, as the small group moved towards the door. 

"Yeah," Miyako chimed in, "There was some chemistry on stage. You can't honestly say there's nothing going on, can you?" 

"Umm…" a large sweatdrop began making its way down the side of Sora's head, "There's nothing to tell!" she protested, "Where are you taking me, anyway?" 

Mimi shook her head, "No changing the subject." She looked over to where Hikari and Takeru were, "Hikari! Girl talk!" 

Sora sighed as the pink clad girl joined their small group, "Guys? There's really nothing going on…" 

(*)(*)(*)

"Yamato, you look like you're at a funeral," Taichi slapped his friend's back, "Lighten up will you? This party's for you and you look like you'd rather be anywhere else but here." 

The blonde glared at his friend, "Sora and I were having an important, uh…conversation before we were interrupted by Rao-"

"I'll bet," Taichi grinned, "If your _conversation is anything like the one I stumbled across the other day…" he shook his head. _

"Why do I get the feeling you guys are talking in code?" Daisuke asked, scratching his head in confusion.

Koushiro smiled, having some idea of what the two of them were talking about, "Ah-hah, you told her, didn't you, Yamato?" 

Yamato flushed, noticing that everyone in the room was gathered around him, even Ken had a vaguely interested look on his face, "Why is everyone so interested in my private life?" 

"Because your private life is the only thing that makes you squirm," Takeru quipped, enjoying the fact that his calm, cool brother was no longer in control. 

"Did you?" Koushiro asked at the same time, trying not to laugh as Yamato turned the colour of a tomato. Behind him, Taichi was nodding his head vigorously, a wide smile on his face. 

"Did he do what?" Jyou asked, completely confused now. 

Yamato glared at his younger brother, "Shut up, Takeru. I happen to know a couple of things about _your private life that I'm __sure Taichi here would love to hear about…" _

Takeru paled slightly, "You wouldn't."  

"I would," Yamato punctuated his statement with a slightly evil laugh, "Things about you and Hikari…" he trailed off as Takeru ran out of the room, Taichi chasing after him. 

"Hey!! Wait up you two!" Daisuke yelled, "You better not have been hitting on Hikari, Takeru!" He followed after them, still yelling. 

Jyou rolled his eyes, turning to Yamato, "So, what's all this about?" 

(*)(*)(*)

"He _kissed you?" Mimi squealed excitedly, her voice echoing through the empty stalls of the girl's bathroom. "Oh, that's so sweet!! He followed you all the way to the digital world to tell you he loved you!" _

Sora clapped a hand over her friend's mouth, "Would you keep it down?"

Miyako sighed, "There's no one here but us, Sora," she looked as excited as Mimi, "So you two are officially dating now? That's so cute!" 

"They do make a cute couple, don't they?" Hikari agreed, "What I don't get, is why you didn't tell us sooner." 

Sora blushed, "I didn't want to rush things, or make him feel threatened…"

"Oh, that's just a lame excuse!" Mimi exclaimed, "He told you he _loves you! If that's not rushing things…" She hugged her friend impulsively, "This is just so great!" _

"Group hug!" Miyako announced. 

Sora was starting to feel rather smothered. 

(*)(*)(*)

Yamato's face was on fire, or at least, it felt it was. Koushiro kept giving him knowing looks and Jyou was obviously waiting for his answer, only Ken's emotions were unreadable. "WILL YOU QUIT THAT?" He finally yelled at his red haired friend, feeling the beginnings of a headache, "Yes, I told her! But that's _none of your business!"_

Koushiro waited patiently for his friend to finish yelling, "So, what did she say?" he asked calmly. 

Yamato glared at him, you could almost see the smoke erupting from his ears, "Koushiro…" he began dangerously, "I'm _warning you…" _

"Fine," the other boy shrugged, "We'll just ask Taichi." 

Jyou turned to Ken, "Why do I get the feeling we're being ignored here?" The blue haired genius only shrugged in response. 

Yamato's eyes almost popped out of his head, "T-Taichi?" he stuttered, "Taichi doesn't know anything!" he protested. 

"Really," Koushiro raised an eyebrow, "Then you won't mind me asking," he concluded smugly. 

The blonde looked around the room wildly, eyes seeking escape. Finally, he made a break for the door, screaming. The other three boys in the room sweatdropped, watching their friend run down the hallway, his screams fading into the distance. 

Jyou looked at Koushiro, "Now, mind enlightening us?" 

(*)(*)(*)

His flight down the hallway was abruptly halted when he ran into someone. "Ouch," he muttered, landing on his butt. He looked up into a pair of rather frantic brown eyes, "Sora?" 

Her eyes widened as she shushed him. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him down towards the computer rooms. "Be quiet," she whispered, "Mimi, Miyako and Hikari are looking for me. They're not too happy that I escaped." He would have found the melodrama rather funny if he hadn't learnt firsthand how scary their friends really were.

"Where are we going?" he asked quietly, slipping his hand into hers so their fingers were entwined. 

'Digital world," she muttered, turning on a computer, "It's the only place that's big enough to hide us." 

He grinned roguishly, "Plus, I like the idea of a little alone time," he moved towards her with the intention of placing a kiss on her neck, but she moved out of the way.

She laughed at his pout, "Later, Yama-kun. We need to get out of here first." 

"You make us sound like a couple of fugitives," he held his digivice out to the computer screen at the same time as she did. 

"Digipor-" 

He cut her off with a kiss, as the portal to the digital world surrounded them. 

(*)(*)(*)

They landed in a tangle on the ground, Yamato on top of Sora. "Mou," she was blushing heavily, "Yamato!" she scolded, "Don't do that!" 

"Do what?" he murmured teasingly, placing light kisses along her neck, "This?" She shivered slightly under his touch and he smiled, moving his lips upwards towards her lips, "Or is it this?" he asked, kissing her full on the lips. 

When he pulled away, she was short of breath and redder than before, all too aware of the position they were in, "Yamato," she whispered, "I don't think-" 

"Mmm?" he wasn't really listening, finding her blush altogether too cute, "What is it, Sora?" he asked, nuzzling against her neck. He'd been wanting to be alone with her all day, and it seemed that other things were only getting it the way.

She was feeling very uncomfortable, she loved him, but the situation was getting out of control. With some effort, she managed to push him off her, "Yamato, are you listening?" 

"What?" he asked, annoyed. The moment had been completely ruined for him now. 

She looked hurt and he realised he'd been taking it too fast. "Sora, I'm sorry," he moved closer towards her, holding her hands in his, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" his voice broke, "I don't want you to do anything you're not ready for. I love you so much," he pulled her into a hug, scared of losing her because of his own stupidity, "I love you," he whispered over and over again. 

"It's okay," she murmured, pulling away so she could look into his icy blue eyes, "You just freaked me out for a moment there, you know?" 

"I'm sorry," he said softly, sounding like a little kid, "It's just that…I need you so much. I can't stand the thought of losing you now that I've found you." 

She ran a hand through his hair, "You're not losing me, Yamato. Not now, not ever." 

He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent, "Promise?" he whispered in her ear. 

"Always," she said placing a kiss on his soft lips. A kiss that promised to get more intense, as he pulled her closer, his tongue brushing her lips gently. Her hands slid through his hair, gently messing it up. 

"SORA!!"

"YAMATO!!"

The two of them pulled apart with a groan. "Why are we never left alone?" Yamato complained half-heartedly, combing his hair with his fingers and tugging at the ends in a gesture of annoyance. He gave the two digimon a mock glare, "Have either of you heard of privacy?" 

Biyomon gave him a reproachful look, "I don't get to see Sora very often." 

Yamato shook his head, "Neither do I." 

Sora gave her digimon companion a hug, "Don't mind him, he gets cranky," she ignored the pleading look Yamato was giving her. 

Gabumon tapped his friend on the shoulder, "Um, Yamato? I know I'm no big expert on fashion, but you don't normally dress like that, do you?"

He looked down, he was still wearing his Romeo costume. He flushed, "No, this was for the play, Gabumon. I didn't get a chance to change after." He was really starting to _hate the leather pants. _

"Oh," Gabumon's eyes widened as he processed the information, "You let people see you onstage in _those pants? They're really, really tight, Yamato." _

Sora overheard him and burst out laughing as Yamato buried his face in the ground. "I don't believe this," he muttered, "Even my _digimon thinks I look like a male stripper!" _

Biyomon pulled at his sleeve, "What's a male stripper, Yamato?" 

The question only made him turn redder, "Never mind, Biyomon. Don't worry about it." 

The pink digimon turned to Sora in confusion, "Did I say something wrong?" 

"No, you didn't," she replied, still laughing at Yamato's face, "I'll tell you when you're older." 

This only made her more confused, "Humans are weird," she informed Gabumon, who nodded his head in agreement. 

A still-red Yamato wrapped his arms around Sora's waist, "We're weird, huh? Well, us 'weird humans' would like a little alone time, if it's okay with you two." 

"Fine," Gabumon said a little huffily, "We see where we're not wanted. Come on, Biyomon." 

Sora elbowed him, "That wasn't very nice, Yama-kun." 

He began kissing her neck again, "But it worked, didn't it?" he asked in-between kisses.  

Her eyes glowed in the light from the setting sun, "I love you," she whispered, her lips meeting his. 

(*)(*)(*)

_A/N: Lookie at that! I finished it! Wow huh? I hope you guys liked it! Please review! I'm sorry this took so long, but I got a job (Yamato: Surprising, huh?) and I've had __training. Waitressing is __hard! _

Yamato: There's a surprising number of exclamation marks in that…

Does it matter? I mean really, does it? 

Yamato: …no. 

Good! *mutters about demanding muses* 

Yamato: Anyway, now that you've finished this one. What about a sequel to _Reconciliations?_

Um, no? I know lots of people want one, but I don't see how I could write a plausible sequel. There would be no plot. I'm sorry! 

Yamato: Well then, what about that _new Sorato you've been wanting to-_

*claps a hand over Yamato's BIG mouth* Shut up! That's a _secret! And I'm still working on it. _

Yamato: It's a multi-parter, right? 

Do you know the meaning of 'shut up'? *glare* 

Yamato: The people want to know! I am their voice!

Okay, no more TV for you… *drags Yamato off and locks him in a closet*

Yamato: *mumble mutter* ……

What? I can't hea~r you!! *runs away* 

Thanks to all the people who've reviewed this fic and kept reading it even when the chapters were few and far between! *hugs* You guys rock! I _do have a new Sorato in the works…but you'll have to find out about that, won't you? In the meantime, go read Reconciliations! (Even if you've read it before!) _

_Website: Cherry Blossoms and Ki Blasts _

I need submissions! Fics can be from DBZ, Digimon, FoR, RK or CCS. Go there to find out about the submission rules. 

© Abi 2001-12-03


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